Juvenile Justice Issues

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Pages: 5

Introduction
Over the past two years, most of the 50 American states have reformed their juvenile justice laws; therefore, allowing more young adults to be tried as adults (ACLU, 2018). The ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, is the nation's leading civil liberties in the Supreme Court to help empower communities across the U.S and encourage the public's voice. The research done by the ACLU has created a controversy on whether or not minors being tried as an adult is ethically acceptable. Adolescent years are a critical time period for young adults because they are more vulnerable to family poverty, parental health issues, trauma, chronic stress, and school attendance (Beckford, C., July-September 2016, Vol.15, Issue 3, 188-209). The Juvenile
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They use law on behalf of children in the child welfare and justice systems to work in order to protect and enhance children's rights in courts, legislatures, and executive agencies. In addition, they have contributed to making legal changes on juvenile's sentences. The Juvenile Law Center believes that minors being tried as adults can be beneficial to the minors because juveniles in the justice system have rights to jury trials, yet also brings justice to more extreme crimes. However, the Juvenile Law Center fails to realize the negative effects of being tried as an adult. Jeffrey Fagan, a professor of law and public health at Columbia University, also believes that transferring juveniles to adult court cases, exposes young adults to toxic and harsh forms of …show more content…
Jennifer Lutz is the founder of Allswell, a corporate Wellness Company. Lisa Pilnik is the director and co-founder of Child and Family Policy Associates; in addition, she's a senior advisor to the coalition. Heather Renwick is the legal director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. They believe that young adults who are sentenced to solitary confinement at adult prisons have an increased chance of mental and physical problems, lack of education, career options, and a negative impact on friends and families (Recent Wins in Juvenile Justice Provide New Advocacy Opportunities, 2016). Due to solitary confinement, adolescents in those adult prisons don't receive the same treatment as adolescents in juvenile detention centers, such as BUILD. BUILD help overcome issues: gangs, violence, crimes and focuses on building self-esteem, improving communication skills, problem-solving techniques, goal settings, and decision