Discussion Assignment
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week on the basis of the course competencies covered. For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned. Provide a detailed response to the topic questions in the Discussion Area. For this assignment, post your responses directly to the Discussion Area; do not attach any documents.
To support your work, make sure you use your course and text readings. When asked, also use outside sources. As in all assignments, cite the sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.
Juvenile Rehabilitation
Consider the following scenarios:
Scenario 1
Peter Jones is a twenty-year-old who has just been arrested for assault as a result of a fight at a bar. It is his first criminal offense of any kind. A short time before the fight, he was hired to drive a forklift, and he really does not want to lose his current job.
Scenario 2
Paul Smith is a sixteen-year-old who has just been arrested for assault because of his involvement in a fight at his school. It is his third violent offense, and he has already been on juvenile probation and received mandatory counseling for anger management. He is failing at school and is unlikely to graduate.
Keeping the two scenarios in mind, respond to the following questions:
- Is the assumption that juveniles are especially amenable to rehabilitation because of their age and perceived openness to learning accurate? Discuss.
- At what age might one be too old or too young for rehabilitation?
- Do you think rehabilitation should be reserved for juvenile offenders alone? Cite research to support your answer.
- Assuming neither victim was seriously injured, what penalties would you hand down to these offenders? Justify your answer.
- If Smith’s victim died as a result of his injuries, why will Smith not receive the death penalty as a sanction? Include the Supreme Court’s decision in your explanation.
Read and comment upon the posts of at least two of your classmates and respond to follow-up posts of other classmates.
