Key Differences Between Juvenile and Adult Criminal Justice Systems
Introduction
Although there is a separation between the adult criminal and juvenile justice systems, they both pursue the goals of reaching justice, treating individuals fairly, and guaranteeing freedom if no guilt is found. Thus, even though they are different, the systems are interconnected and rather vary in emphasis and not in values (Cole et al., 2018). Specifically, since juveniles are responsible for committing a large portion of criminal offenses, both the juvenile and the adult systems must work together to facilitate both prevention and management.
Deciding What Is a Crime
The distinction between criminal terminology in the juvenile and adult criminal systems allows for identifying the fundamental differences in the approach toward crime within the systems. An important difference is that in the juvenile justice system, offenders are referred to as “youths” or “juveniles” rather than “criminals” (Clark, 2023). Moreover, the variation in classifying an act as a crime or a delinquency is based mainly on the age of the lawbreaker. If an individual is an adult, then the offense is considered a crime, which means that it will be punished as a crime. In contrast, if an individual is a minor, the law will consider their breaking the law as a delinquency.
Detecting a Crime and Arresting a Suspect
While the general process of detecting a crime and arresting a suspect for the crime is similar to some degree between the two systems, there are differences in some procedures due to the variability in the goals and the principles of the system. Notably, juvenile crimes are often identified through complaints or reports filed by school authorities, law enforcement agencies, or individuals (North Carolina Judicial Branch, n.d.).
Common reasons for reports are offenses associated with substance abuse, truancy, or minor delinquent behaviors (North Carolina Judicial Branch, n.d.). Thus, if one considers the case involving the pill mill and the arrest of a sixteen-year-old engaged in the trafficking of Oxycodone, the law enforcement studying the case should unravel the reasons for the minor’s involvement in the group, while the judge should consider informal ways of punishment. In contrast, adult crimes tend to be detected through law enforcement investigations encompassing procedures such as witness interviews, surveillance, forensics, and other techniques. In addition, in juvenile cases, family members often contribute to detecting crime, while surveillance using technologies is more prevalent in adult cases.
When it comes to suspect arrests, juvenile suspects may be taken into custody; however, the goal of law enforcement is to avoid unnecessary confinement. Some juvenile detention centers offer a rehabilitative environment conducive to addressing the challenges that may have caused criminal behavior. Besides, informal handling is possible, especially when an offense is less severe – a juvenile may get a warning or be referred to counseling or community-based programs.
For instance, 19% of all juvenile arrests in 2020 were handled within the police department, with the arrested individuals being released (OJJDP, 2020). Less than half (45%) of all arrests involving youth are referred to the juvenile court (OJJDP, 2020). In the adult criminal system, arrest procedures tend to be more formal, such as reading the Miranda rights during the arrest. Besides, adults are booked into jail, where their information is recorded.
Determining Guilt
Guilt is determined differently in the adult and juvenile justice systems. Specifically, juveniles are not eligible for a trial by jury. In contrast, young individuals’ cases are heard by a judge who alone will determine the guilt of the juvenile delinquent. Another critical difference is between open and closed hearings within the two systems. While the criminal proceedings involving adults are available for public knowledge, the proceedings with juvenile delinquents are closed, and the cases may even be held anonymously, with the defendant’s name protected from the public. Such a contrast between the two lies in the juvenile system’s inclination to rehabilitate juvenile offenders by keeping their activities from being known to the public record.
Moreover, there are differences in the rules of procedure between the two systems while in the adult court, criminal procedures are being observed and strictly followed. In contrast, in juvenile court, the rules of procedure can be more relaxed. Moreover, there is a difference between disposition and a sentence; while an adult convicted of a crime receives a punishment that serves as their sentence, a juvenile offender gets a disposition, which is not as strict as a punishment.
Deciding Punishment
Decisions about punishment vary in terms of formality and leniency between the two systems. Specifically, in cases such as Roper v. Simmons, the US Supreme Court ruled that executions were unconstitutional for crimes committed by individuals younger than eighteen years old, while in Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama, the ruling of the court was that a life sentence for a juvenile without their possibility to get parle went against the constitution in non-homicide and homicide cases (Cole et al., 2018).
The difference between the two systems is evident in such examples, as harsh punishments for juveniles do not align with the modern values of society. The juvenile system appears to be much more focused on children’s best interests, attempting to ensure that they are rehabilitated before becoming adults. Even though there are rehabilitation-focused adult criminal systems in the world, the US framework maintains a punitive ideology in which punishment acts as a deterrence, retribution, and incapacitation.
Carrying Out the Sentence
In the juvenile justice system, sentences tend to emphasize rehabilitation and treatment rather than measures of punishment. If detention is the chosen sentence for the juvenile delinquent, the focus of the correctional process is to educate, counsel, and engage persons in community service. Besides, as found by Clark (2023), when juveniles are incarcerated, their social connections may get severed while access to lawful opportunities is restricted, which makes them more susceptible to reoffending. In addition, the length of sentences for juveniles can be shorter compared to adults because of the need to help individuals transition back into the community.
Besides, in some jurisdictions, such as Illinois, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and several others, there is a possibility of records expungement or sealing when juveniles reach a certain age or after they complete their sentence’s terms (Michon, 2022). Such a procedure is beneficial because it provides juvenile persons with a fresh start. In the adult justice system, not all crimes are eligible for expungement, with only charge records that were either dismissed or dropped, small infractions, non-violent and low-level misdemeanors.
Conclusion
To conclude, the variability in focus of the juvenile and adult criminal system is the cause of the fundamental differences. On the one hand, the juvenile justice system emphasizes rehabilitation and the possibility of giving individuals a second chance. The adult justice system focuses on punitive action, with less attention given to education, therapy, or treatment. Together, the two systems are conducive to both crime prevention and punishment.
References
Clark, C. (2023). Effect of detention facilities toward juvenile delinquency and exposure to criminalization. Walden University. Web.
Cole, G., Smith, C., & DeJong, C. (2018). The American system of criminal justice (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Michon, K. (2022). Sealing juvenile court records. Web.
North Carolina Judicial Branch. (n.d.). Juvenile delinquency. Web.
OJJDP. (2020). Juvenile justice system structure & process. Web.