4.5 Differences between Juvenile Justice and Criminal Justice

PointCriminal justiceJuvenile justiceAimPunishment of the guilty; deterrenceReform and reintegration; the child's developmentThe actor's frameThe offender — a responsible adultThe child in conflict with law — a developing personTerminologyTrial, conviction, sentenceAdjudication, disposition (the vocabulary's care)CourtThe regular courtThe juvenile court/bench (the specialised composition)ProcedurePublic, adversarial, formalClosed, protective, informalised; the parent-and- social-worker presenceCustodyPrison, bail-and-remandLast resort only; reform homes; separation fromadultsSentencesThe full tariff (life; fines)The reduced ladder (the age-bands; no capital, no life- without-release)RecordsThe permanent recordConfidential; the sealing-and-expungement logicThe victimThe party to be answeredPresent — and central in the restorative face