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12.0 Juvenile Justice and Beyond the Basics (Current Issues in Criminal Justice)

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will be introduced to juvenile justice. This section is designed to be a broad overview of the juvenile court system, to examine the pros and cons of the juvenile justice system, examine the various stages in the juvenile justice system, and discuss contemporary issues facing juvenile justice. After reading this section, students will be able to:

  • Summarize the history and purpose of the juvenile court
  • Explain the pros and cons of the juvenile justice system.
  • Briefly examine the stages of the juvenile justice system
  • Examine the reasons supporting and criticizing the process of waiver to adult court
  • Explain how due process has evolved through the juvenile court.

You will also be learning about current issues within the criminal justice system. This section is designed to provide you with some insight into contemporary issues within the criminal justice system and think about policies or potential solutions to these issues. After reading this section, students will be able to:

  • Describe how issues such as mass incarceration, overcrowding and aging populations influence the correctional system
  • Explain the revolving door of prisons and highlight the barriers to reentry faced by former incarcerated individuals
  • Describe the evolution and current standing of terrorism in the U.S., particularly domestic terrorism
  • Examine cybercrime and how it impacts the criminal justice system
  • Explore the history and current evolution of the Department of Homeland Security and its goals

Critical Thinking Questions

  1. What impact did the child savers have on juvenile justice reform?
  2. Explain how due process has been used throughout the history of the juvenile justice system.
  3. How has the juvenile justice system evolved since it was created?
  4. What are the different types of waiver?
  5. What four areas changed the juvenile court?
  6. How can we address issues such as mass incarceration and overcrowding?
  7. Is it justice to continue to incarcerate elderly inmates who no longer pose a danger to society?
  8. When you think of terrorism, do you think of domestic or international? Why?
  9. How is cybercrime influencing the criminal justice system?

License

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Introduction to the Criminal Justice System Copyright © 2025 by Courtney Crittenden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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