Juvenile Justice: Home
Issues
If a teen commits a crime, would justice be
served if he/she were punished like an adult who
commits the same crime?
Do teenagers have the same
ability to understand their
actions as adults?
Can juvenile offenders learn from
their mistakes?
Should juveniles convicted of murder
be tried and punished as adults?
Should certain juvenile offenders be sentenced to life in prison without parole?
What is Kansas policy on juveniles in court? Are juveniles eligible for life imprisonment without parole in Kansas?
Has there been any recent action (protests, lawsuits) to change the current policy?
Do you agree with Kansas policy? Why or why not?
Juvenile Justice Real Stories Expectations
Research and learn about a juvenile in the court system. Did the punishment fit the crime?
Be sure to check your facts with at least two other credible sources. Document sources
Papers must included; details crime committed, time/ place of crime, punishment received, whether punishment was modified for juvenile’s age, personal details of juvenile (age, family life, criminal history)
-our opinion on the issue, do you think the punishment was appropriate for the crime/ juvenile’s age? Why or why not?
Supreme Court Ruling about Life in Prison Without Parole
Mandatory Life Sentences
Juvenile Justice
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikealsen
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Touching Spirit Bear
by
Call Number: FIC MIKISBN: 0756910994Cole Matthews is angry. Angry, defiant, smug--in short, a bully. His anger has taken him too far this time, though. After beating up a ninth-grade classmate to the point of brain damage, Cole is facing a prison sentence. But then a Tlingit Indian parole officer named Garvey enters his life, offering an alternative called Circle Justice, based on Native American traditions, in which victim, offender, and community all work together to find a healing solution. Privately, Cole sneers at the concept, but he's no fool--if it gets him out of prison, he'll do anything. Ultimately, Cole ends up banished for one year to a remote Alaskan island, where his arrogance sets him directly in the path of a mysterious, legendary white bear. Mauled almost to death, Cole awaits his fate and begins the transition from anger to humility.
Eighth Amendment
