Abstract
The juvenile waiver was established in 1966 with the landmark case Kent v. United States. This case deemed it constitutional to transfer youth from the juvenile court to the adult criminal court, and significant repercussions have since ensued. One issue includes the notable 3.5% increase in the recidivism rates for youth subjected to the waiver (Augustn, 2017a). The purpose of these waivers was to impose harsher punishments, particularly for serious offenses like murder, and this "tough on crime" approach gained momentum in the 1990s. Presently, public sentiment supports such measures, as evidenced by a survey indicating a majority favoring stricter penalties for youths committing felony offenses (Miller & Applegate, 2015). Despite public support for tough-on-crime measures, their impact on youths is disproportionate (Miller & Applegate, 2015), impeding their future integration into society. Education and earnings are traditionally predictors of crime, and research shows waived youth are two times less likely to obtain a high school diploma and less likely to make equivalent pay as non-waived youth. While the waiver was instituted with the intention of reducing recidivism and enhancing societal safety, it paradoxically places youth at a higher risk of committing future crimes (Augustn, 2017b).
Faculty Advisor
April Terry
Department/Program
Criminal Justice
Submission Type
in-person poster
Date
4-6-2024
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Bechle, Daniel and Terry, April
(2024)
"Juvenile Waiver: Problems and Soultions,"
SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days: Vol. 2024, Article 90.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2024/iss2024/90