Juvenile Justice System Essay

In the beginning of the 20th century, many visionaries strived to recreate American government. They fought for it to become more just, fair, and ethical for all citizens. Visionaries realized that adult courts, laws and policies were too harsh and cruel for juveniles. Because of this, they believed that juveniles should have their own courts, laws, and policies. In the early 20th century, juvenile courts started to appear in America due to the realization that juveniles are not the same as adults. The juvenile justice system was created in order to lead youth away from the adult justice system and more towards a rehabilitative approach than retributive. Sending juvenile delinquents to adult prisons can cause issues for them. Being in the adult

In the court case of Roper v. Simmons, Simmons, who was seventeen at the time he committed murder, believed that it would violate his 8th amendment rights if he were to be sentenced to death. The 8th amendment as part of the United States Constitution prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishments and sentences. The United States Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons ruled in favor of Simmons. The United States Supreme Court explained that sentencing a minor to death was indeed cruel and unusual punishment In March 2005, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty for those who had committed their crimes less than 18 years of age was cruel and unusual punishment and hence barred by the Constitution. Since then, there have been new scientific discoveries that show juveniles should not be charged and prosecuted the same way as adults. According to research performed by the Harvard Medical School, the National Institute of Mental Health and the UCLA's Department of Neuroscience have discovered that the frontal and pre-frontal lobes of the brain are not fully developed in juveniles. These parts of the brain help determine impulse control and judgment. Maturation is not reached until the ages of eighteen and twenty two. This means youth are more likely to act irrationally, make abrupt decisions and choices, and do not think about the after effects that their