Legal Issues

The current juvenile justice system of the United States is profoundly influenced by the common law of England. Although the rights of juvenile delinquents were already acknowledged during that time, it was only during the 1960s that the United States Supreme Court heard several landmark cases that would significantly modify the procedures in the juvenile courts (American Bar Association ABA, n.d., p.2). The juvenile justice system from this time onwards has become more focused and has further understood the importance of safeguarding the well-being of juveniles who commit status offenses or adult criminal acts, as well as preventing juveniles from committing future crimes.

Throughout the years, it appears that despite the efforts of the justice system, federal law makers, and the state officials, the problem of juvenile delinquency in the United States has been very persistent. In order to solve this problem, some people have suggested that more accountability must be placed on the parents, while others suggested that it is the private sector, government, or communitys obligation to assist in restraining juveniles from entering the justice system. In accordance with these views, it is therefore important to not place the burden of constructing an effective juvenile justice system in the country solely on the parentsit must be shared by legislators, private sectors, and the community.

In view of that, all of those involved in implementing an effective juvenile justice system must realize that prevention programs are very crucial in restricting juveniles from committing future crime. These young people need to understand that delinquent behaviors and actions have consequent punishments. It is therefore crucial for the community and other entities within the private sector to educate children and provide them with options to crime. By doing so, children within their respective areas will be less expected to commit deviant or criminal acts.

Some of the community programs that have been found to be successful in this area, which are strongly recommended to be pursued by the communities and private sectors in the future, include family support services, after school programs, mentoring programs, youth community centers, youth leadership programs, youth clubs, etc. (Jones, 2006, p. 2). These programs are very important and are indispensably needed for the improvement of the juvenile justice system since they have been proven to offer positive guidance for young people, particularly the underprivileged and those who do not have enough parental supervision.