Remote session for Tuesday, 6/27- Disposition for Jim Butler

Read about Jim Butler on page 491.
You are the juvenile court Judge and have to decide his disposition. Choose a dispositional option from chapter 15 ranging from probation to secure corrections that you think would be most appropriate for Jim and his case.
Be specific as to his disposition. Why did you choose this option? What are your goals for the disposition of this this case and how will this disposition meet the goals?
Explain and keeping in mind that each sentencing option has different things to offer.

Remote Session for Thursday, 6/22 at noon.

Harry Lawanorder is a State Representative working on new legislation concerning juveniles. He is a firm believer that in order to stop offenders from committing more crimes, the only answer is transferring more juveniles to adult court. He is absolutely convinced that by doing so, juveniles will 'get the message' and juvenile crime will lessen. He has asked for your opinion
since you are now becoming a juvenile justice expert.

1. After reading chapter 14, particularly about transferring juveniles to adult court, what advice would you give to the representative about his vision for lessening juvenile crime? Make sure you sure you give him the total picture?

2. What is your view of this practice? Include a quote from the text that supports your view.

Remote Session (Due 6-15-06 at 11 a.m.) Delinquency Prevention

You will need to read chapter 11 before completing this assignment.

The costs of juvenile delinquency are wide ranging and substantial. Delinquency prevention is based on the belief that delinquency is preventable. However, delinquency prevention programs are also not cheap.

After reading chapter 11, do you think the results justify spending money on delinquency prevention programs (include at least 5 pieces of evidence to support your answer)?

Should these programs focus on childhood or adolescence? Explain.

Due Monday 6/12, 7PM, Gangs in Philadelphia?

In recent years there has been much discussion about violence committed by young people in Philadelphia. When this violence takes place in groups there also arises a discussion about gangs in our city. While some say there are gangs, our Police Commissioner has stated otherwise. What we learn from this chapter is that making a decision about the existence of gangs depends on the definition you are using. After you have read chapter 8 and reviewed the various definitions of gangs on page 239, respond to the following assignment.

Using at least two of those definitions of gangs, decide if their are gangs in our city (according to the particular definintions).

Be specific about the content of each definition and be specific as to why you think there are or are not gangs in Philadelphia. Since the definitions vary, with one definition you may say yes, with another you may say no, but you need an explanation.

Remote Session (due 6/8/06) School Climate

This blog is part of the remote assignment for Thursday, 6/8/06. It must be completed by 11:00 on Thursday morning.

Read the section in chapter 9 about school failure, it includes a section about school climate. Then, complete the following:
1. “Quote” two sentences from this section of the text that best describes the connection between school failure and delinquency (what is the relationship). Explain why you picked those sentences.
2. Next, think about your own high school experiences and the school climate in the school you attended. Answer the following question- Was the climate in your high school conducive to academic success or was it more geared toward academic failure? Explain and be specific about what made the climate either positive or negative (feel free to mention the name of the school).

Remote Session (due 6/8/06) Families and Developmental Theories

This blog is part of your remote assignment for Thursday, 6/8/06. It is due by Thursday morning at 11:00.

In this blog, you will be making the connection between information in chapter 7 about families and information in chapter 5 about developmental theories. In other words, you will be explaining how family functioning would be important to a any developmental theorist.

1. Summarize a specific developmental theory that mentions family functioning or relationships from chapter 5. Be sure to mention the important parts of the theory.

2. Highlight (explain the importance) of the role of family function in that theory.

Gender Differences? (Due 5/31 at 7PM)

John states that he is knowledgeable about many things, including juvenile justice. He can't understand, however, the difference in delinquency rates between males and females.
John states that the delinquency rates should actually be the same because boys and girls are basically similar, other than physical differences, and also are raised the same way.

He also states that there are no gender differences in the way boys and girls are treated in in the juvenile justice system.

After reading chapter 6, what would you say to John about his views?

In your own words, describe Hirschi's General Theory of Crime.

Give an example of a young person 'at risk' for delinquency based on this theory (give this young person a name). Don't forget, your description of this child and what's going on with them should be based on this theory

Developmental and Latent Trait theories (Remote session assignment-due Tuesday 5/30).

What is the main difference between developmental and latent trait theories?

Give a brief description of a young person who is exhibiting problematic behavior based on the concept of latent traits.