Adult vs. Juvenile Courts the Assignment Being

Adult vs. Juvenile Courts

The assignment being completed in this module response is to answer to the differences between the juvenile and adult criminal systems. The author is asked to make a case for a certain age being the level of distinction for adult vs. criminal cases. The author will do all that and more.

Court Differences

The differences between juvenile and criminal courts are obvious. First, children and adults are not housed in the same units and the amount of punitive punishment in the adult system is much more severe and the jails certainly match that. The amount of punishment in terms of years and money is entirely different as well, with a much higher focus on rehabilitation and repair with the juvenile courts as compared to a much higher focus on punishment, monetary or jail sentence-related, with the adult courts (Bishop, 2010)(LegalMatch, 2013).

People who commit, and are tried, as children are often given a new outlook on life as their records are usually sealed and immune from review provided that they complete their sentences and pay their penance. The amount of mercy is a lot less with adult offenders and this is much more true for repeat offenders. Perhaps a major reason for this is that the cycle of crime is much easier to break and correct with children as opposed to adults who are much more set in their ways and/or are a much higher danger to society if not properly dealt with (Bishop, 2010)(LegalMatch, 2013).

Age of Distinction

Of course, the major age of distinction when speaking of adult vs. juvenile charges is 18 and that is the way it should say. However, there should be three overall states. First, anyone over the age of 12 should theoretically be able to be charged as an adult. However, it should be exceedingly rare for children ranging from 12 to 15 and should be reserved for very violent crimes (murder, armed robbery, etc.). The threshold should be much lower for 16 and 17-year-olds as the person is very close to an adult and there is little chance that much will change from 16 to 18, and this is especially true for violent and repeat offenders. Children under the age of 12 should NEVER be tried as adults as any person that young and committing crime is obviously being influenced by somebody because children that young rarely act impulsively in that manner without undue influence, corruption or coercion of some sort (Bishop, 2010)(LegalMatch, 2013).