A juvenile is defined as a person who is not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. As per law the age threshold is set at 18 years in maximum number of states. The term juvenile delinquent referred to any child found to be within the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. It included children accused of status offenses and children in need of state assistance. Juvenile Law was formed keeping in consideration that children should be considered innocent and vulnerable and as lacking the mental state required for them to be held responsible for a criminal offense because they have not acquired the wisdom that comes with age. It followed that juveniles should not be punished for their criminal behavior. Instead, they should be reformed, rehabilitated, and educated. Rehabilitation is the aim of the juvenile justice system, There are three types of cases that are covered under Juvenile Law. These are taken up by Juvenile Court. They are as under: • juveniles accused of criminal conduct • juveniles neglected or abused by their parents or in need of assistance from the state • juveniles accused of a status offense The process of juvenile courts differs from that of adult courts. Juvenile courts do not have the authority to order punishment. They do not believe in punishments. The main aim is rehabilitation, whereas adult criminal courts focus on the offense committed and appropriate punishment. The juvenile court response to misconduct generally is more lenient than the adult court response. Unlike the adult proceedings, Juvenile court proceedings are conducted in private. The identity of the juveniles and the records of the proceedings are also private. juvenile law states that the maximum time a juvenile can be retained for trial in a secure facility is 21 days. This is the time period during which it is mandatory to start the proceedings. If in any case the trial does not start, the court wants the child to be released. If the child is found guilty then he is has to be sent to reformatory for rehabilitation. It is a place which is more like a youth development center. They are like prisons as children are not allowed to move out of it until and unless they complete the period ordered by the juvenile court. The professed goal of reformatories is rehabilitation, but the unspoken goal is often confinement of the juvenile for the protection of the community. .
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