Podcast

The main ideas from this information are that there are similarities and differences between the adult court system and the juvenile court system. Both have the right to an attorney, cross-examination, and protection against self-incrimination. However, adult court has juries, while juvenile court usually does not. Adults are prosecuted for crimes, while juveniles are prosecuted for delinquent acts. Rehabilitation is emphasized in juvenile court, while punishment is the main focus in adult court. The terms guilty and not guilty are used in adult court, while adjudication is used in juvenile court. The speaker believes that rehabilitation is important for juveniles, but expresses concerns about life sentences for juveniles and suggests military boot camp as a form of rehabilitation. As most of us know, there is an adult court system, but some people might not have known that there is a juvenile court system, and while the two share some similar characteristics, there are many differences that distinguish them. Some of the similarities that they have is that both have the right to an attorney, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, protection against self-incrimination, knowing the charges being brought against them, and the fact that the prosecution must prove they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. With similarities come differences, however. In an adult court, there are juries, whereas in a juvenile court, there are typically no juries. Another thing is that adults are prosecuted for committing crimes, while in a juvenile court, they are prosecuted for committing delinquent acts. Going off of that, adults are criminals, but juveniles are delinquents. In juvenile court, there is more emphasis on rehabilitation options for the delinquent, while punishment is the main focus in adult court. Finally, the terms guilty and not guilty are used more in adult court, whereas adjudication is used in juvenile court. If you want to hear my personal opinion or not, that's up to you, but I'll still give you my two cents on the juvenile justice system. I think it's great that they push for rehabilitation in the delinquent before they become an adult, so that they learn from their mistakes. It makes sense to use more logic when in the juvenile court, because the person who did the crime is a child. Their brain isn't fully developed, so they might make riskier decisions, especially teenagers. Someone might not even be through puberty yet. I digress, but the point is still there. However, this takes a turn when talking about states such as Florida, where they sometimes give life sentences to juveniles, literal children. Again, their brains aren't fully developed, and actually, the human brain isn't fully developed until you're mid to late 20s. Moving on, the rehabilitation options that are offered are also a nice alternative to serving jail time, such as probation or counseling. You have to start small to rehab, though. You can't just go through one or two lessons and expect them to be better. It takes time. Although, if no progress is made, I believe that the best form of rehabilitation is military boot camp, because of how tough the leaders are and the intense amount of discipline. Unfortunately, we are out of time for this week's podcast, but I hope this was helpful for you to determine the difference between adult and juvenile justice systems.