Week 10 Assignment – Alternatives to Detention

Youth.gov (n.d.) reported that a recent study indicates that nearly two million juveniles are processed through juvenile courts across the United States each year. Depending on the nature of the crime, juveniles may face detention if they are adjudicated delinquent. Given that the aim of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate, and many courts are reluctant to detain criminal offenders, judges often consider alternatives to detention. Such alternatives save taxpayer dollars while ensuring offender accountability and imposing sanctions for criminal behavior.

If you work in the field of juvenile justice, an awareness of the differences between the juvenile and adult systems and the use of correct terminology are critically important. In this assignment, you will examine the differences between the juvenile and adult system and alternatives to detention for juveniles.

Instructions

• Explain, using original paraphrasing, three differences between the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system