Adj 105 - Curfew Laws - the Juvenile Justice System

Dennis Lazo

6/16/2011

ADJ 105: The Juvenile Justice System

Mr. Dickinson

The Youth Curfew Laws that are being enforced in Atlanta are a step in the right direction, but they are being over stressed. It seems as if the law enforcement in Atlanta is far too focused on making sure kids are in bed by a certain time, rather than committing their man power to more serious problems that the city is facing. Making sure that all juveniles meet their curfew should be a community responsibility, Atlanta should have to create a task force within their police department for the problem. If the laws are strongly enforced, only the person committing the violation should be penalized. Unless a parent keeps their child with them at all times and does not let them leave the house, it is inevitable for the child to not be influenced by his environment. Surely most parents do not promote such behavior to their children, but if there is an obvious case of neglect and not caring for the child, maybe then can authorities can intervene and hold the parents responsible. To legitimately penalize the juvenile's parents, there needs to be an extensive background check to be able to prove that it was the parent's fault. With the threat of parent's being penalized, maybe more effort will come from the parents. If there are parents that know that their child is committing a violation, the parents should tend to control their child in a firmer manner since they will now share consequences with them if they were to get caught,