Chapter 1-6: Introduction to Juvenile Justice System

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, concepts, and landmark court cases related to the introduction of the juvenile justice system, mass incarceration, and youth pipelines from the lecture notes.

Ethnography

A research method involving immersing oneself in a culture or neighborhood to understand its norms, values, and morals.

Bias/Subjectivity in Ethnography

A potential negative aspect of ethnographic research where researchers can become too close to their subjects, leading to a lack of objectivity.

Out of Reach Populations

Groups of people, often involved in illegal activities, who are difficult to study without earning their trust and access through methods like ethnography.

Mass Imprisonment/Mass Incarceration

The phenomenon of a high percentage of a country's population being incarcerated, often disproportionately affecting people of color, encompassing both confinement and community corrections.

Community Corrections

A component of mass incarceration that includes measures like probation, parole, curfews, drug tests, and random searches for individuals who are not currently confined in prison or jail.

Fugitive

An individual with warrants for their arrest, often for offenses like not paying fines, court fees, or child support, rather than escaping from prison.

Dirty vs. Clean Divide

A social distinction in communities where individuals are categorized as 'dirty' if entangled with the justice system (e.g., having warrants) or 'clean' if not, impacting their daily lives.

Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline

A pathway where sexual abuse leads to secondary victimization (e.g., running away from home, prostitution), disproportionately affecting girls and potentially leading them into the juvenile justice system.

School to Prison Pipeline

A pathway where school disciplinary actions like suspensions and dropping out of school (often disproportionately affecting poor children and children of color) increase an individual's likelihood of entering the juvenile and adult prison systems.

Juvenile Courts

Specialized courts for minors, established in the late 1800s, designed to treat young offenders differently than adults, often with a focus on rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation (Juvenile System)

The primary goal of the juvenile justice system, focused on correcting or fixing behaviors and providing opportunities for young offenders to reform.

Houses of Refuge

Early forms of juvenile confinement in the early 1800s, initially intended for rehabilitation but often used as sources of free labor.

Commonwealth e. McKeagy

An early 1800s court case that ruled a house of refuge could not confine a child simply because the father claimed the child was 'idle and disorderly,' establishing criteria beyond mere parental dissatisfaction.

Dependent, Neglected, or Delinquent

The three primary legal criteria established by early court cases for when the juvenile justice system is authorized to intervene in a child's life.

Ex parte Krausz

A court case that established criteria for committing a child to a house of refuge, affirming the state's right to intervene when parents are deemed incapable, leading to dependence and neglect.

Parents Patriae Doctrine

A legal principle stating that the government has the authority to step in and act as a parent or guardian when a child's natural parents are unable or unwilling to do so.

Kent v. United States

A Supreme Court case ruling that juveniles facing transfer to adult criminal court are entitled to specific due process protections (e.g., a hearing, access to counsel and records) due to the increased severity of potential punishment.

In Ray Galt

A landmark Supreme Court case that mandated juvenile court proceedings comply with the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, requiring adequate notice of charges, right to counsel, and opportunity to confront witnesses in cases of potential confinement.

In Ray Winship

A Supreme Court case that ruled the 'beyond a reasonable doubt' standard of proof, typically used in adult criminal cases, must also be applied in juvenile delinquency proceedings when the state seeks to deprive a juvenile of their liberty.

Roper v. Simmons

A Supreme Court case ruling that the death penalty cannot be applied to juvenile offenders (under 18) because their brains are not fully developed and they are less mature than adults, implying a different standard for juvenile culpability.

Miller v. Alabama

A Supreme Court case that declared mandatory life without parole sentences for juvenile homicide offenders unconstitutional, citing the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the rehabilitative purpose of the juvenile system.

Eighth Amendment

A constitutional amendment that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, frequently referenced in cases determining the appropriate severity of punishment for juveniles, often leading to different standards than for adults.