Abstract
There have been numerous complaints about how the US Supreme Court acts as a super-legislature. Most people are of the opinion that Justices of the Court exceed their judicial powers to give their own opinions on the constitution. However, the US Constitution does not spell out the specific powers and duties granted to the Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court is given the power to decide upon controversies and cases. The judges therein are appointed by the president, and approved by the Senate. Juvenile programs are correctional programs meant to serve youths that have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, ranging from sex offences, to drug abuse, to domestic violence. These programs can either succeed or fail, depending on a few factors. This paper is going to address the topics on the Supreme Court and Juvenile programs, and it will address key issues that affect them.
The Supreme Court handles only a few cases every year because it does not look into cases that require advisory opinions on the law, or those that ruling on such cases would not have any practical effect. Also, the Court does not hold trials. However, it has the authority to interpret the law, determine its constitutionality, and apply it as it deems fit in a particular case. This acts as a disadvantage to lower courts, since they have to follow the decision of the Supreme Court. Moreover, just because a case was not ruled differently by two or more courts does not mean that the ruling was correct. Therefore, by failing to listen to some cases, the Supreme Court may fail to address a case that may really require its ruling.
The fact that the Court only looks at very few cases is a good thing, since it only handles the cases that are of great importance to be reviewed upon, or when a new legal principle has been presented. This shows that the Court respects the rulings made on lower courts on the cases. Since the Supreme Court only listens to cases that were interpreted differently by two or more federal courts, it provides the overall ruling on the cases. Moreover, having the power to make the ultimate decision prevents the judges from ruling according to public passions or political pressures. The Court’s power gives it the ability to impose its own views of the law and constitution with disregard of any other branch of the government, and since no one can correct its errors, these decisions end up being a force on the law. Moreover, these opinions are final and cannot be appealed against, which makes matters even trickier.
Juvenile programs are relied upon to make positive impacts on the youth who go through them, and their success in doing this depends on several factors. Professionalism is an important quality in juvenile correctional officers. This is especially in cases where the officer is tempted to judge a juvenile offender via what they have done wrong. Moreover, teamwork between the workers also determines whether a juvenile program will be successful or not, since cooperation must be there for good results to be experienced. In addition to that, the officers should be prompt while dealing with any arising issues in the program to prevent any disasters. Additionally, officers with more experience in the program are more likely to be more effective than those new to the program.
Furthermore, risk assessment determines how the delinquents are treated within the program, with special attention given to the high-risk offenders who may pose danger to the other delinquents. Also, it is important to identify potential criminals within the program, so as to deal with them accordingly. Treatment of the offenders also determines whether they come out of the program better or worse than they got in. Evaluation is also needed to monitor performance. Funding of these programs is also quite necessary so as to ensure that the correctional process goes on as required. Above all else, integrity must be upheld in all areas of the correctional programs to ensure that positive change is achieved.
References:
Danny Fingeroth, C. M. (2009). The U.S. Supreme Court. Washington, D.C.: Capstone Press.
Larry J. Siegel, B. W. (2008). Juvenile delinquency: theory, practice, and law. Connecticut:
Cengage Learning.
