In 1997 the House of Representatives passed the Juvenile Crime Control Act. The passing of this act would make it easier to try juveniles as adults in the Federal system. Recently, in Michigan, a 13 year old, Nathaniel Abraham was on trial for the first-degree murder in a 1997 shooting of an 18 year old. Prosecutors believed that Nat should be prosecuted and punished for this crime as an adult.
"Arizona teacher shot at middle school, teen sought for questioning", read the local paper headlines. As a teacher in the middle school these headlines shock me or do they really. With the ever increasing trend of violence in schools, the issue of "Kids Behind Bars" is frightening.
Currently, I am a special education teacher, teaching 8th grade students in an inclusion program. My position allows me to collaborate with the regular education teachers in all subject areas. The population of the students in which I teach are learning disabled, mentally retarded or seriously emotionally disturbed. The students in the class that are not identified as special education are slow- learners and children at risk.
Many times throughout the school year our students are arrested for various crimes, some not so minor. It is my intention through this unit to educate the students of the laws,their rights and the consequences of violating the laws.
This unit will be mainly integrated into the history and English curriculum. In complying with the district-wide standards for social studies, the unit will present the concepts of the constitution, criminal laws concerning juveniles and the treatment of the offenders. The areas of delinquency, neglect, abuse, harassment and emancipation will be addressed. The following is an outline that will be used for this unit.
I. The Constitution
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A. The Bill of Rights
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B. The rights of the juvenile
II. What is Criminal Law?
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A.The law concerning juveniles
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B.Juvenile Crime
III. Kids Doing Adult Time
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A. Treat and Rehabilitate
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a.Community Treatment
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b. Residential Treatment
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c. Nonresidential Treatment
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d. Institutionalization
IV. Innovative Ideas
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A.Visitors and Trips to Inform
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a.Criminal Lawyer to Visit the Classroom
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b.Connecticut Court Visitation
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c. Local Police Visits
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d.Trip to the Local Detention Center
A child who commits a crime needs to be punished. But does he or she need to be tried and punished as an adult. Does this youth need to be placed in an adult facility or in a safe but disciplined environment. Children should be held accountable for their actions. In this unit I hope to explore the rights of the children in accordance with the law.
The total time allotted for this unit would be eight weeks. This would include the visits and the trips that are to take place. It is my hope to enhance this unit with a trip to our nations capital, with visits to our senators and representatives office's.