Juvenile offenders can be placed in detention centers or correctional facilities, depending on the crime. Minors cited for petty crimes may receive community service or anger management classes, while more serious crimes require a court appearance. Probation may be recommended, either formal or informal. Some serious misdemeanors may not be charged as juvenile crimes, and the age at which a minor can be tried as an adult varies by jurisdiction.
Juvenile crime occurs when an individual under the age of majority acts against the law. A juvenile offender may be placed in a detention center designed for juveniles, a government-run correctional camp, or an adult correctional facility, depending on the crime committed. For minor offences, the minor may also be placed in the custody of a parent or legal guardian.
In the United States, minors arrested for juvenile crimes usually receive a summons. This notice can be sent home with the child upon release or can be mailed. The summons lists where the offender is to report, as well as the time and date, and details which statute he is charged with violating the minor. Most states have laws regarding when notice of appearance must be sent, which can range from five days before the hearing date for convicted offenders, to 10 days before the hearing for minors who have been issued to a parent or guardian.
The procedure for dealing with juvenile crime will largely depend on where the child committed the offence. In many cases, minors cited for petty crimes will be referred to a probation department, where they will receive a punishment that can range from paying a community service fine to attending anger management classes. Once the punishment has been paid, the offender does not need to re-submit to the probation department.
More serious crimes usually require the minor to appear in court. At the hearing, the court will decide whether or not the case should go to trial. If so, the minor will likely be given a date and asked to hire a defense attorney. Depending on the country, the court may provide legal services for free.
The court may also recommend that the minor be placed on probation. Depending on the laws of the country, as well as the minor’s previous arrest and willingness to cooperate with both the prosecutor and the defense attorney, this probation can be formal or informal. Formal probation requires the minor to report and comply with requests from a probation officer. Informal probation can result in fines and community services, but offenders are not necessarily required to report regularly to a probation officer.
Serious misdemeanors classified as misdemeanors may not be charged as a juvenile crime, even if the offender is a minor at the time the crime is committed. These offenses include premeditated murder, rape, and child molestation, among others. The exact age at which a minor can be tried as an adult depends heavily on the jurisdiction where the crime was committed. For example, in the United States, the State of Colorado requires minors to be at least 12 years old before they can be tried as adults, while the State of California will not try children under 14 as adults.
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