Chapter 13 - The Juvenile Justice System Flashcards
parens patriae
a doctrine that holds that the state has a responsibility to look after the well-being of children and to assume the role of parent if necessary
status offender
a juvenile who has engaged in behavior deemed unacceptable for those under a certain statutorily determined age
juvenile delinquency
behavior that is illegal under federal or state law that has been committed by a person who is under an age limit specified by statute
bullying
overt acts taken by students with the goal of intimidating , harassing, or humiliating other students
aging out
a term used to explain the fact that criminal activity declines with age
age of onset
the age at which a juvenile first exhibits delinquent behavior
child abuse
mistreatment of children by causing physical, emotional, or sexual damage without any plausible explanation, such as an accident
child neglect
a form of child abuse in which the child is denied certain necessities such as shelter, food, care, and love
youth gang
a self-formed group of youths with several identifiable characteristics, including a gang name and other recognizable symbols, a geographic territory, and participation in illegal activities
low-visibility decision making
a term used to describe the discretionary power police have in determining what to do with misbehaving juveniles
referral
the notification process through which a law enforcement officer or other concerned citizen makes the juvenile court aware of a juvenile’s unlawful or unruly conduct
intake
the process by which an official of the court must decide whether to file a petition, release the juvenile, or place the juvenile under some other form of supervision
petition
the document filed with a juvenile court alleging that the juvenile is a delinquent or a status offender and requesting that the court either hear the case or transfer it to an adult court
judicial waiver
the process in which the juvenile judge, based on the facts of the case at hand, decides that the alleged offender should be transferred to adult court
automatic transfer
the process by which a juvenile is transferred to adult court as a matter of state law
prosecutorial waiver
a procedure used in situations where the prosecutor has discretion to decide whether a case will be heard by a juvenile court or an adult court
detention
the temporary custody of a juvenile in a secure facility after a petition has been filed and before the adjudicatory process begins
detention hearing
a hearing to determine whether a juvenile should be detained, or remain detained, while waiting for the adjudicatory process to begin
adjudicatory hearing
the process through which a juvenile court determines whether there is sufficient evidence to support the initial petition
disposition hearing
similar to the sentencing hearing for adults, a hearing in which the juvenile judge or officer decides the appropriate punishment for a youth found to be delinquent or a status offender
predisposition report
a report prepared during the disposition process that provides the judge with relevant background material to aid in the disposition decision
graduated sanctions
the practical theory in juvenile corrections that a delinquent or status offender should receive a punishment that matches in seriousness the severity of the wrongdoing
residential treatment program
a government-run facility for juveniles whose offenses are not deemed serious enough to warrant incarceration in a training school
boot camp
a variation on traditional shock incarceration in which juveniles (and some adults) are sent to secure confinement facilities modeled on military basic training camps instead of prison or jail
training school
a correctional institution for juveniles found to be delinquent or status offenders
aftercare
the variety of therapeutic, educational, and counseling programs made available to juvenile delinquents ( and some adults) after they have been released from a correctional facility
