Juveniles Tried In Adult Criminal Court

In the past two years in Ventura County the number of juveniles tried as an adult has increased 170%, from ten in 2006 to twenty seven in 2007. In comparison, from 2002 to 2005 only five juveniles were tried as an adult. Proposition 21 passed in 2000 gives the prosecutor discretion to determine whether juveniles fourteen and older who commit serious crimes will be tried as adults. Despite those opposed of juveniles tried as adult, across the nation the incidence of violent juvenile crime is as low as it has been since the early 1970s.

Transfers to criminal court are intended for the most serious juvenile offenders, but how effective is transferring juvenile offenders to adult court? For example, the transfer may create long-term harm. Transferred juveniles may be stigmatized due to the conviction in the criminal court. Labeling juveniles as adult offenders may seriously impair their future education, employment, and other opportunities. Juveniles convicted in criminal courts are more likely to be incarcerated and receive longer sentences than if they remained in the juvenile court. Furthermore, juveniles incarcerated with adults may become exploited physically and sexually, and develop permanent damaged. In addition, following their release, transferred juveniles have a higher recidivism rate than those kept in juvenile court.



In contrast, there are many juvenile offenders that commit crime and deserve punishment in which rehabilitation programs may not be effective with all juveniles. The transfer of juveniles to adult court is attractive to conservatives due to the get-tough policy, which is currently popular. One may argue the increased use of the transfer can help get violent offenders off the streets and should be mandatory for juveniles committing serious violent crimes. Transfers are reserved for the most serious cases and the most serious juvenile offenders. They are most likely to be transferred to criminal court if they have injured someone with a weapon or if they have a long juvenile court record.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/17/juveniles-tried-as-adults-up-170-da-cites-gang/