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The first amendment of the constitution protects an individual’s right to the freedom of religion, and the freedom of expression from government interference. “Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief.” Many times has the Supreme Court had to interpret this right in the case of juveniles in schools and often choose in favor of the school.
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The definition for juvenile law: “Juvenile justice is the area of criminal law applicable to persons not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states, the age for criminal culpability is set at 18 years. Juvenile law is mainly governed by state law and most states have enacted a juvenile code. The main goal of the juvenile justice system is rehabilitation rather than punishment.”
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“It is shocking that anyone this young could face life imprisonment without parole, let alone in a country which labels itself as a progressive force for human rights…Amnesty notes that the US is one of only two countries in the world who have refused to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Somalia is the other country.” – Susan Lee, Amnesty International
This brings about questioning of the bill of rights, a document made to protect the rights of all American citizens. -
The competence of 927 adolescents in juvenile detention facilities were put to the test. Adolescents' abilities of competence were compared to 466 young adults in jails and in the community. Participants tryed new procedures to compare competence levels. Youth under 15 tested incompetent to stand trial as well as more prone to make decisions in compliance with authority. The tests were discussed with emphasis on developing legal standards that recognize immaturity as incompetence to stand trial.
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By: George Will Oregonian
Within the last ten years the Supreme Court has had to ponder the Eighth Amendment’s banning of, “cruel and unusual punishment.” Cases involving juveniles have recently illustrated the complexity of interpreting the constitutional language when the context of today’s social science and brain science is changing. In multiple cases juveniles as young as fourteen have been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parol -
President Obama appoints Reginald Dwayne Betts as a member on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
