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1
CHAPTER 17
Corrections for Juveniles
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Describe the nature and extent of youth crime today.
3. Describe the new “evidence-based” movement in juvenile corrections, and explain how it has
affected juvenile justice.
5. Explain how serious juvenile delinquency differs from most delinquency and what this
implies for the juvenile justice system.
7. Describe the special problems youth gangs pose.
8. Assess the future of juvenile corrections.
LESSON PLAN
Correlated to PowerPoints
I. The Problem of Youth Crime
Learning Objective 1: Describe the nature and extent of youth crime today.
A. It disturbs us to think of a child as “dangerous” or “sinister,” but we are forced to
consider the unpleasant truth that some young people commit serious crimes.
B. In the most recent year for which data are available (2014), about 667 youths under the
What If Scenario
What if a child is born to parents who are addicted to drugs and alcohol and who themselves are
in and out of the “system”? Does this child have a chance?
II. The History of Juvenile Corrections
Learning Objective 2: Analyze the history of the development of juvenile corrections in the
United States.
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Instructor’s Manual
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A. Juvenile Corrections: English Antecedents
1. The 1600s in England
2. The Elizabethan Poor Laws (1601)
a. These established the basis for officials to take charge of vagrant and
3. The 1800s in England
a. Reformers such as John Howard were appalled by decrepit conditions
and treatment of women and children in dark, disease-filled facilities.
B. Juvenile Corrections in the United States
1. The Puritan Period (1646–1824)
a. The passage of the Massachusetts Stubborn Child Law in 1646:
2. The Refuge Period (1824–1899)
3. The Juvenile Court Period (1899–1960)
a. The first juvenile court was established by a legislative act in Cook
4. The Juvenile Rights Period (1960–1980)
a. Reform groups (like the ACLU) rallied to protect rights of juveniles
5. The Crime Control Period (1980–2005)
a. The juvenile justice system has changed dramatically in recent years;
See Assignment 4
6. The Evidence-Based Period (2005–present)
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Chapter 17: Corrections for Juveniles
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Learning Objective 3: Describe the new “evidence-based” movement in juvenile
corrections, and explain how it has affected juvenile justice.
a. Policy makers are rethinking the get-tough approach.
b. They are evaluating programs and policies, doing “what works.”
c. A new generation of community-based strategies to reduce juvenile
Media Tool
Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_v._Florida
o Graham v. Florida
o Research this case, and discuss how it changed the juvenile justice system. Why would it
be cruel to sentence a juvenile to life imprisonment?
III. Why Treat Juveniles and Adults Differently?
Learning Objective 4: Present the rationale for dealing differently with juveniles and adults.
A. Juveniles Are Young and May Easily Change
1. Most correctional professionals believe juveniles are more susceptible to the
B. Juveniles Have a High Rate of “Desistence”
1. Juveniles have lower failure rates than adults; most are never arrested again.
C. Juveniles’ Families Are an Important Part of Their Lives
D. Juveniles Are Easily Influenced by Their Peers
E. Juveniles Have Little Responsibility for Others
F. Differences Between Adults and Juveniles in Perspective
1. Juveniles are candidates for many rehabilitation programs that may not work
for adults.
3. Family and peers are important influences that correctional efforts may shape.
4. They are responsible for preparing for adult lives but not yet for succeeding in
adult roles.
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Instructor’s Manual
Class Discussion/Activity
Split the class into two groups. Have the class debate whether juveniles should be treated the
same as adults or as a distinct population when it comes to punishment.
What If Scenario
What if a child’s parents could be punished for their son/daughter’s delinquent or status
offending behavior?
Media Tool
Visit http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/
o Campaign for Youth Justice
o Discuss this program in class. What is this organization all about? Ask students to
evaluate its usefulness and its apparent effectiveness. Do they feel it is a necessary
program? Why or why not?
See Assignment 1
IV. The Problem of Serious Delinquency
Learning Objective 5: Explain how serious juvenile delinquency differs from most delinquency
and what this implies for the juvenile justice system.
A. Delinquent behavior is common in teenage years; certainly, for young males in
difficult living situations, it is almost expected.
2. There is no consensus on what “normal” delinquent behavior is.
B. The juvenile justice paradigm does not apply equally to every young person who
breaks the law.
1. Status offenses: behaviors not illegal for adults if they were to do them but
V. Sanctioning Juveniles
Learning Objective 6: List the ways that juveniles are sanctioned.
A. Overview of the Juvenile Justice System
1. Juvenile corrections suffers from the same type of fragmentation as its adult
2. In 2015, 709,333 million juveniles (persons under age 18) were arrested,
3. Juvenile arrests disproportionately involved minorities.
4. Arrest rates are increasing faster for girls than for boys.
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5. Factors of concern in a juvenile’s history include persistent behavioral
6. Violent crime among young people is alarming, but it is not common.
B. Disposition of Juveniles
1. Waiver
a. It is referred to as “transfer to adult court.”
2. Diversion
3. Correctional Programs for Juveniles
a. The impact of correctional treatment programs differs from programs
4. Detention
a. Approximately 21 percent of juvenile arrestees are detained.
5. Adjudication
6. Juvenile Probation
7. Working in the Schools
a. School-based programs have three objectives: keep potential truants in
8. Intermediate Sanctions for Juveniles
9. Juvenile Community Corrections
a. Interest in this approach has continued because most people realize that
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© 2019 Cengage. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or
in part.
extreme cases and that for most youth the institutional stay will be short
(six months to one year).
10. Juvenile Incarceration
a. Of those juveniles declared delinquent, 22 percent are placed in public
11. Juvenile Aftercare
a. Aftercare refers to services provided to juveniles after they have been
placed—removed from their home and put under some form of custodial
care.
Class Discussion/Activity
The Juvenile Justice Practice Series of NCJRS provides a description of six model youth
aftercare programs. (https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/201800/page5.html). Ask students to
identify similarities and differences among the programs. Which one sounds most promising to
them?
Media Tool
Visit http://ffh.films.com/id/17132/Missouris_Different_Approach_to_Juvenile_Justice.htm
o Missouri’s Approach to Juvenile Justice
o Discuss this type of program in class. What are the benefits of it? In what ways does it
treat juveniles differently than it would adults?
See Assignments 2 and 5
VI. The Special Problem of Gangs
Learning Objective 7: Describe the special problems youth gangs pose.
A. The United States has 850,000 members of 30,700 gangs operating in every state in
the nation.
B. Most gangs are not violent, and many members engage in positive as well as negative
social behaviors.
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Chapter 17: Corrections for Juveniles
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Media Tool
Visit https://www.crimesolutions.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?ID=278
o Chicago’s Little Village Gang Project
o Discuss this in class. What has Chicago done differently than other cities in response to
gang violence? Is it working? Why or why not?
Class Discussion/Activity
Direct students to the National Gang Center’s website (http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/).
Have them describe what the National Youth Gang Survey is and provide a summary of the
findings from the most recent survey.
Class Discussion/Activity
Ask students to research the show Gangland and locate an episode which depicts a youth gang.
Discuss the gang and how we as society members could deter kids from joining them.
See Assignment 3
VII. The Future of Juvenile Justice
Learning Objective 8: Assess the future of juvenile corrections.
A. High-profile gang criminality and the recent spate of school shootings have ended the
anonymity of juvenile correctional work.
What If Scenario
What if you could predict the future of juvenile delinquency and the programs that will exist to
assist at-risk youth? What programs would exist in the future?
LECTURE NOTES
This chapter focuses on juvenile corrections, a topic likely to stimulate lively discussion. It may
be useful to explore with students why we, the society, are so disturbed by youth crime? As in
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Instructor’s Manual
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The chapter relays that while some young people do indeed commit serious crimes, extremely
serious juvenile crime incidents are actually quite rare. This fact may or may not reflect the
beliefs of your students. It may be a good idea to tease out students’ perceptions of youth crime
before you review the reality.
When teaching about juvenile corrections, it is imperative to explore the ideological and
intellectual arguments associated with treating juveniles differently. Explore the different
rationales with your students. It may be constructive for students to map out their thinking on
this issue. This can simulate rich discussion. Seize the opportunity. College students can easily
recall their juvenile days. Have them discuss how different they are now that they are “older.”
The class could debate whether or not society should have a separate system for juveniles.
Often when people think of juveniles and crime, they think about gangs. The topic of gangs will
probably be very compelling for the students. Some of them may have first-hand knowledge.
Allow them to speak freely, should they choose to share their knowledge. This too can be a topic
rife with misconceptions. The chapter focuses on the intersection between corrections and gangs.
Be sure that students can make these connections.
KEY TERMS
Parens patriae
The “parent of the country”—the role of the state as guardian and protector of all people
(particularly juveniles) who are unable to protect themselves.
Delinquent
A child who has committed an act that if committed by an adult would be criminal.
Chapter 17: Corrections for Juveniles
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© 2019 Cengage. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or
in part.
Neglected
Describing a child who is not receiving proper care because of some action or inaction of his or
her parents.
Dependent
A child who has no parent or guardian or whose parents are unable to give proper care.
Status offenses
Misbehaviors that are not against the law but are troubling when done by juveniles because they
are so young.
Aftercare
Juvenile justice equivalent of parole, in which a delinquent is released from a custodial sentence
and supervised in the community.
At-risk youths
Young people who demonstrate characteristics of being more likely than others at their age to
end up as juvenile delinquents in their teen years.
School-to-prison pipeline
The situation in which many youths who fail in school end up in prison.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Have students read “Juvenile Violent Offenders—The Concept of the Juvenile Super
Predator.” Based on the reading, ask them how the concept of the super-predator emerged
2. The Juvenile Justice Practice Series of NCJRS provides a description of six model youth
aftercare programs. (see https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/201800/page5.html). Ask
students to identify similarities and differences among the programs. Which one sounds
3. Direct students to the National Gang Center’s website
4. “Adolescent Development and the Regulation of Youth Crime” by E. Scott and L.
Steinberg (Juvenile Justice, 18(2), 2008) traces the history of the juvenile justice system
and poses challenges for its future. Ask students to identify the changes to the system
since its inception that form the basis for the authors’ opinion that juvenile system is in
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© 2019 Cengage. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or
in part.
5. Instruct students to visit the “Free Write” Jail Arts and Literacy Program website at
http://freewriteartsliteracy.org/. What is the goal of this program? Instruct them to click
the “Work” tab, then click on Anthologies and review the Time to Go anthology. Have
them choose one of the more powerful poems in the book (it’s a matter of their opinion)
ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Although the answers provided below will vary from student to student, the responses should
include at a minimum a discussion of the following key points.
1. How has the experience of growing up changed over the last few centuries? Why are these
changes important for juvenile justice?
• During the Middle Ages, children were seen as property of the male head of the
household, and the patriarch could deal with his possessions however he wished.
• During the early 1600s, in England, governments began to consider the plight of the
child. In much the same way that the crown claimed property rights throughout the realm,
children were seen as falling under the protection of the king or queen.
• American colonies continued practicing English procedures into the 1800s.
2. How do the differences between adults and juveniles affect policies in juvenile justice? How
are adults and juveniles similar under the law?
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© 2019 Cengage. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or
in part.
families, reform young people, and hold them less criminally culpable.
• Both adults and juveniles have constitutional rights.
3. Are the many differences in terminology between the adult and juvenile systems important?
Why or why not?
4. In what ways do juvenile institutions differ from adult institutions? How does this affect
institutional management? What does this difference mean for juveniles who are housed in
adult facilities?
5. Should we have a separate juvenile justice system? Why or why not?
