Juvenile Records Destroy Lives Before They Even Start
Juvenile Records Destroy Lives Before They Even Start by Noa Cadet.
In 2022, 549,500 children were adjudicated as delinquents. 57% were ages 15 or younger. When a child is arrested, recourse are created. They include police reports, court filings, and even DNA and fingerprint data. Juvenile records can negatively impact on a child’s chances of employment or education years after the offense.
A picture of Dina Server and her family.
“After getting accepted into a nursing program, I discovered that my juvenile records could stop me from going to school after all…At that point, if finally hit me just how much of an impact my juvenile records would have on my life.” - Dina Seaver, who longed for years to be a nurse.
The Juvenile System is Failing Children.
The juvenile delinquency is meant to be rehabilitative, but it often ends up harming human lives for years.
Point 1 - the American juvenile justice system was historically designed to guide and correct the behavior of youth under state care, aiming to reintegrate them into society.
Point 2 - juvenile delinquents are still developing; their immature decision-making, inclination for risk, and peer pressure often lead them toward crime.
Point 3 - while the majority of juvenile offenders are sixteen to seventeen years old, in New York, you can be tried as a juvenile delinquent as early as 7 years old.
Keeping juvenile records available can create challenges for individuals seeking future jobs or school admission, even years after becoming an adult.
Records Are Forever.
Juvenile records in New York never disappear. In New York, juvenile delinquency records are shielded from public view. To enhance protection against employers and agencies accessing records, the individual must go to court. However, even with increased safeguards, juvenile records never truly go away.
But This Could Be Changed.
Senator Jabari Brisport has introduced Senate Bill S3104A to address issues faced by adjudicated youth regarding their records. The bill suggests significant changes to juvenile delinquency record laws, aiming to provide adolescents with a clean slate after the successful completion of their treatment programs.
How Does This Bill Help Juveniles?
The bill goes further than safeguarding juvenile records from public view - it ensures complete confidentiality, limiting access unless an extreme need is demonstrated. After being sentenced for treatment, a juvenile can request the court to fully erase their records, ensuring no one can access them again. Even without a request, the bill suggests automatic destruction of all juvenile records on the child’s 21st birthday.
A Step in the Right Direction.
Though the battle for equal opportunities in employment and school admissions persists, this law would provide youth with the chance to leave the past behind and a fresh start.
Everyone Deserves a Real Second Chance.
The goal of the juvenile system is to rehabilitate youth and not condemn them for life. We should not punish people who earnestly wish to re-enter society and live normal lives. Let the past be forgotten. Contact your local representative and encourage them to support Senate bill S3104A.
Sources:
Slide 1: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/juvenile-court-statistics-2022.pdf. https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/crimnet/ojsa/juvefng/newfngpt.pdf
Slide 2: https://jjie.org/2014/11/13/womans-youthful-offense-wrecks-dream-of-being-a-nurse/
Slide 3: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/9747/chapter/7
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10039722/
https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/Criminal/crimesbyChildren.shtml#:~:text=Juvenile%20Delinquents,then%20be%20considered%20Juvenile%20Delinquents.
Slide 4: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/expunging-juvenile records.pdf
Slide 5: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/7jd/courts/city/criminal /youthful_offender_sealing.shtml
Slide 6 & 7: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S3104/ amendment/A