The Illinois Juvenile Court Act, Essay Example

Since the implementation of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act, law enforcement professionals were required to reconsider their treatment of delinquents. In particular, this legislation raised the question of whether juvenile delinquents should be treated as adults in the court of law, considering their lesser experience and ability to make decisions. Focus is therefore on the rehabilitation of delinquents under the assumption that these individuals needed to be provided with a more comprehensive understanding of morality to be tried as adults. Furthermore, these individuals are shielded from stigma and labels under these beliefs. Specifically, when children are either perpetrators or targets of crimes, their names are withheld from the media to ensure that their safety will be protected. On the other hand, if adults are involved in crime, the media is free to publish information about their involvement.

Since the “punishment” assigned to minors is a form of rehabilitation, the consequences of their crimes are measured on the need for treatment. Occasionally, however, a waiver is provided and children can be treated as adults if it is believed that they had the capacity to make their own decisions pertaining to the crime. Therefore, the protections that children are afforded often depend upon the particular case.