Abolish the Juvenile Court: Youthfulness, Criminal Responsibility, and Sentencing Policy

Abolish the Juvenile Court: Youthfulness, Criminal Responsibility, and Sentencing Policy

Youthfulness, responsibility and punishment Admonishing adolescents in criminal court

This article describes interaction in a criminal (adult) court in which adolescents are punished. As a result of the particular set of courtroom dynamics and the youthfulness of the defendants in this court, two potentially conflicting ideas about punishment are expressed concurrently: (1) proportionality, and (2) reduced culpability among youth. I demonstrate how judges talk to adolescent defe...

Gene-Environment Interactions, Criminal Responsibility, and Sentencing

Imagine a defendant who has been charged with murder, the intentional homicide of a victim he was robbing with a weapon. He has a history of three previous convictions and imprisonments for armed robbery. Prior to being released from the third term, he publicly threatened to kill any future armed robbery victims who might be able to identify him. When the current victim looked our armed robber ...

Back to Basics : Sentencing Objectives at the International Criminal Court

Teen Court Jurors’ Sentencing Decisions

Teen Courts provide a forum in which juvenile offenders are sentenced by their peers. This system, based on principles of restorative justice, serves as an alternative to the traditional juvenile justice system. Sentencing options typically include restitution, community service, jury duty, apologies, attendance at educational workshops, and tours of correctional facilities. Previous research h...