Our aim in this essay is to examine the behavioral and neuroscience evidence that supports developmental immaturity of youthful offenders. We summarize findings from research over the past 20 years regarding brain, cognitive, and psychosocial development in adolescence. The main conclusions support the view that adolescence is a distinct period of development and that juvenile offenders deserve differential treatment and have much to gain from a less punitive orientation than at present. This recent developmental science is used to consider three issues in juvenile justice policy: the criminal culpability of adolescents, adolescents’ competence to stand trial, and the effects of punitive sanctions on adolescents’ development and behavior (p. 580).
Juvenile Justice Policy and Practice: A Developmental Perspective
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