Juvenile Delinquency

The juvenile justice system oversees adjudications for juvenile offenders in juvenile courts. A juvenile offender is a youth under the age of 18 or the age of majority, depending on state statute. A juvenile, or delinquent, is said to commit delinquent acts rather than crimes. This language is consistent with the primary goal of the juvenile system, which is rehabilitation, treatment, and successful reintegration into the community.

For the last 40 years, the United States Supreme Court has rendered several important cases affecting the constitutional rights, treatment, and adjudication of delinquents in the juvenile justice system.

Instructions

Per the chapter reading, write a one-page summary that includes the history of landmark cases that grant due process rights and procedures to juveniles and your understanding of the following Supreme Court decisions, especially as they pertain to the death penalty and requirements for life imprisonment without parole.

• Roper v Simmons.
• Graham v. Florida.
• Miller v. Alabama.