Running Head: ADULTIFICATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS 1
Adultification of Juvenile Delinquents
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ADULTIFICATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS 2
Introduction
According to Merlo and Benokos (2017), laws leading to the adultification of the
juvenile justice system were passed between the 1980s and 1990s. They were meant to curb the
upsurge of violent juvenile crime. It eroded the principles of the original juvenile court system.
The Original juvenile court conducted juvenile hearings informally. It considered a child's
problems and what was in their best interest. The current 'adultified’ juvenile justice system has
many significant misgivings. The main challenge is that it has failed to rehabilitate the youth that
goes through it. The court is more focused on punishing instead of treating and reforming the
juvenile offenders. The original juvenile system intended to do what was in the best interests of
the minors. It focused on the guidance and assistance of the troubled youth instead of
punishment.
Bolin (2014) argues that the adultification of juvenile criminals led to the loss of faith in
the juvenile court's fairness. The Supreme Court's rulings changed the juvenile court and made it
more like the adult criminal court. The juvenile offender's rights of child protection are waved,
yet they do not receive all the due process protections adults are entitled to. Juvenile delinquents
being tried as adults do not have the right to trial by a jury of their peers. Juveniles are denied the
right to bail. The system uses blended sentences to pass criminal penalties to minors. The
punishment of a life sentence is too harsh for young offenders. Another misgiving of this system
is the labeling of juvenile lawbreakers. The law allows juvenile court records to be publicized.
Reformed juvenile criminals are tainted by their past wrongdoings and not given a chance to turn
their lives around.
ADULTIFICATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS 3
Impact of the Judeo-Christian views
Religious views have made the juvenile justice system more punitive than reformational.
Baker and Booth (2016) argue that religious motivation to punish Tis based on their perceptions
of evil. The Judeo-Christian belief in the power of supernatural evil, the devil, and Satan. The
popularity of Christianity and its views have shaped the workings of the judicial system. Judeo-
Christians' attitude towards the juvenile system is that punishment is what is best for young ones.
The famous scripture quote "spoil the rod and spoil the child" is a perfect depiction of how
Christianity and Judaism view young offenders (Proverbs 13:24). The perceptions of as God
punishing and loving at the same time also informs their punitive ideologies. These beliefs have
made adultification of juvenile crime gain overwhelming support across America.
ADULTIFICATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS 4
References
Baker, J. O., & Booth, A. L. (2016). Hell to pay: Religion and punitive ideology among the
American public. Punishment & Society, 18(2), 151-176.
Bolin, R. M.(2014). Adultification in Juvenile Corrections: A Comparison of Juvenile and Adult
Officers. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2791
Merlo, A. V., & Benekos, P. J. (2017). Reaffirming Juvenile Justice: From Gault to
Montgomery. Taylor & Francis.
