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Should Anyone Under 21 be Considered a Juvenile? (DIFFERENT ANGLES TO LOOK…

- - - - "38. "Juvenile" Defined
        A "juvenile" is a person who has not attained his eighteenth birthday, and "juvenile delinquency" is the violation of a law of the United States committed by a person prior to his eighteenth birthday which would have been a crime if committed by an adult. A person over eighteen but under twenty-one years of age is also accorded juvenile treatment if the act of juvenile delinquency occurred prior to his eighteenth birthday. See 18 U.S.C. § 5031." (AO)
    - - "Juvenile justice is the area of criminal law applicable to persons not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states, the age for criminal culpability is set at 18 years. Juvenile law is mainly governed by state law and most states have enacted a juvenile code. The main goal of the juvenile justice system is rehabilitation rather than punishment.
        Juveniles can be transferred into adult court if the juvenile court waives or relinquishes its jurisdiction." (AO)
- - - - http://www.justicepolicy.org/news/9871 (AO)
        
        Research in neuro biolology and psychological development show that the brain is not fully developed until mid 20's. (AO)
        
        After Connecticut ruled to move the juvenile age from 16 to 18 and incorporated more rehabilitative resources as an option for a broader age range, the number of people 18-21 in prison dropped 51%, as well as saw a drop in the populatoin of the hospitals and detention centers of youths tried as adults. (AO)
        
        "Studies comparing youths with similar backgrounds and similar convictions, the more rehabilitative juvenile justice system was repeatedly found to have lower rearrest rates than the adult system." (AO)
    - - (E. Evans) Current Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said "Here's the reality. Raise the Age resulted in a significant decrease in the number of cases, and today I am proud to report that we have the lowest number of juveniles in pre-trial detention."
        Source:http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/raisetheagesummary_final_3_6_16.pdf
        
        (E. Evans) This past year, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy introduced a bill that increased the age of legal responsibility to 21.
        Source: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/TOB/h/2017HB-07045-R00-HB.htm
  - - - The frontal cortex, which enables ligic and reasoning does not develop until 'adulthood', however the amygdala which triggers fear, agression and impulsiveness developes early. (AO)
      - Because a human brain is not fully developed by the age of 18, I can say that most people are considered a juvenile at this age. Psychologists have added a new term emerging adulthood, to refer to the time period from adolescence to the young-adult, approximately ages 18 to 25.( Psychology in Action 11E pg 294) (DG)
  - - - 11% of adult prisons and jails provide special education services (RR)
      - 7% provided any kind of vocational training (RR)
- - - - The style of rehabilitation may lower crime, but the change on age does not directly lower crime (AO)
        
        Studies show that the most common juvenile offenses, which are drug and property crimes, show little change in offenses before and after the current 'age of majority'. (AO)
    - - Most cases that involve juvenile offenders are taken care of by juvenile courts, Including minor crimes of theft to murder and rape. (RR)
      - Juvenile court systems offer a better opportunity for forgiveness and rehabilitation. The goal is to help the offenders chose a better path for their life. (RR)
      - Not all cases involving juvenile offenders are dealt with by juvenile courts. Some cases that are deemed to have been well thought out or the offender is thought to know exactly what they were doing, then goes to adult court. (RR)
        
        Example: 16 yr/old Sarah Johnson's plot to murder her parents and blame an intruder. Her malicious and well planned intent landed her in adult court. (RR)
      - Usually the violent and mallicious crimes are moved to adult court. (RR)
- - - - Why?
- - - - Minors in Sex Crime Cases
        In the state of Michigan, a person must be at least 16 years of age to consent to sexual activity. A person under the age of 16 is considered a minor in sex crime cases, and anyone over the age of consent who has sexual contact with a person under the age of 16 is subject to criminal charges. (CL).
      - Minors in Alcohol and DUI Cases
        The legal drinking age is 21, and persons under the age of 21 can be referred to as minors in alcohol related cases. Drinking, possessing, or transporting alcohol, or having any blood alcohol content can result in serious criminal charges including Minor in Possession of Alcohol, DUI, or other alcohol related charges. (CL).