Hello LinkedIn community,
I hope this message finds you well. I am currently working on a synopsis for my research titled "Rehabilitating Youth Offenders: A Comparative Study of the Juvenile Justice System in Pakistan", and I would greatly appreciate your suggestions and insights.
- Definition of Youth and Juvenile: A young person who has not yet attained maturity and is not treated as an adult is called a youth. This period of life spans between childhood and maturity. Similarly, the term juvenile refers to young individuals who have committed or are accused of committing an offense. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 unless a different age of majority is specified by law. In Pakistan, various laws and acts generally consider individuals between the ages of 7 to 18 as juveniles. For instance, Article 11(3) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, prohibits engaging children under 14 in hazardous work and mandates compulsory education up to the age of 16.
2. History of the Juvenile Justice System
- The juvenile justice system, which began to take shape in the 18th century, responds specifically to offenses committed by young individuals. Before this period, juveniles over the age of 7 were subject to the same criminal justice system as adults. The economic hardships of the 18th century led to the rise of juvenile delinquency. In 1825, New York City's House of Refuge was established to rehabilitate juvenile offenders through discipline, guidance, and education. Only those considered reformable were admitted; others were sent to adult correctional facilities.
- The 19th century saw further changes with industrial advancements requiring more complex skills and higher education, leading to laws on mandatory school attendance, work hours, and legal marriage age. This period marked the differentiation in handling juveniles and adults. The Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Control Act of 1968 encouraged states to address juvenile delinquency, culminating in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. This act established the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and related programs.
I am eager to delve deeper into these topics and understand the implications for rehabilitating youth offenders in Pakistan. Your feedback, experiences, and suggestions will be invaluable to my research.
Thank you in advance for your support and insights!