S Barnert Elizabeth, S Abrams Laura, Maxson Cheryl, Gase Lauren, Soung Patricia, Carroll Paul, Bath Eraka
Juvenile Justice Working Group, University of California Criminal Justice and Health Consortium , California, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California , Los Angeles, California, USA.
Int J Prison Health. 2017 Mar 13;13(1):49-56. doi: 10.1108/IJPH-07-2016-0030.
Purpose Despite the existence of minimum age laws for juvenile justice jurisdiction in 18 US states, California has no explicit law that protects children (i.e. youth less than 12 years old) from being processed in the juvenile justice system. In the absence of a minimum age law, California lags behind other states and international practice and standards. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this policy brief, academics across the University of California campuses examine current evidence, theory, and policy related to the minimum age of juvenile justice jurisdiction. Findings Existing evidence suggests that children lack the cognitive maturity to comprehend or benefit from formal juvenile justice processing, and diverting children from the system altogether is likely to be more beneficial for the child and for public safety. Research limitations/implications Based on current evidence and theory, the authors argue that minimum age legislation that protects children from contact with the juvenile justice system and treats them as children in need of services and support, rather than as delinquents or criminals, is an important policy goal for California and for other national and international jurisdictions lacking a minimum age law. Originality/value California has no law specifying a minimum age for juvenile justice jurisdiction, meaning that young children of any age can be processed in the juvenile justice system. This policy brief provides a rationale for a minimum age law in California and other states and jurisdictions without one.
目的 尽管美国18个州存在关于少年司法管辖权的最低年龄法律，但加利福尼亚州却没有明确的法律来保护儿童（即12岁以下的青少年）不被纳入少年司法系统。由于缺乏最低年龄法律，加利福尼亚州落后于其他州以及国际惯例和标准。本文旨在探讨这些问题。 设计/方法/途径 在本政策简报中，加利福尼亚大学各校区的学者们研究了与少年司法管辖权最低年龄相关的现有证据、理论和政策。 发现 现有证据表明，儿童缺乏理解正式少年司法程序或从中受益的认知成熟度，将儿童完全排除在该系统之外可能对儿童和公共安全更有益。 研究局限/影响 基于当前的证据和理论，作者认为，制定最低年龄立法，保护儿童不接触少年司法系统，并将他们视为需要服务和支持的儿童，而非违法者或罪犯，这对加利福尼亚州以及其他缺乏最低年龄法律的国家和国际司法管辖区而言，是一项重要的政策目标。 原创性/价值 加利福尼亚州没有法律规定少年司法管辖权的最低年龄，这意味着任何年龄的幼儿都可能被纳入少年司法系统。本政策简报为加利福尼亚州及其他没有此类法律的州和司法管辖区制定最低年龄法律提供了理论依据。
