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Youthful Offender Research Paper

487 Words2 Pages

For a juvenile to transfer into the adult court system a juvenile must be charged as a youthful offender. Youthful offenders often pose a threat to the community and/ or have committed a violent crime. State legislation has passed youthful offender laws permitting juveniles to be charged as an adult in criminal proceedings. Oklahoma passed the Youthful Offender Act in 1998. To be charged as a youthful offender a juvenile must meet certain requirements and crimes. These requirements are similar between all states that have passed state legislation. I have had a lot of firsthand experience with youthful offender laws, being an investigator of crimes against children. In Oklahoma, where I am a criminal investigator, our requirements for youthful …show more content…

The ultimate goal of the Youthful Offender Act is to hold the youth accountable for their actions and to ensure public safety in our communities. This Act has been used numerous times for juveniles committing armed robberies at local convenient stores, homicide cases, rapes and more. After a juvenile is a convicted youthful offender, they will be treated as an adult from there on in all criminal proceedings. That juvenile will also be viewed as a felon and cannot possess a firearm. Just like anything else, this is a tool for law enforcement to help us keep our community

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