Upfront: Juvenile Justice

 Which is true of juvenile courts in the United States, according to the article? 

• They are now considered unconstitutional.
• They have been around for more than a hundred years.
• They have traditionally focused on punishment, not rehabilitation.
•  all of the above

Which of these helped cause violent crime to surge in the 1980s?

• a crack cocaine epidemic
• growth in the use of synthetic drugs
• disorganization in the court system
• overcrowding in prisons

According to the article, which of these is currently allowed in some states?

•  mandatory life sentences for juveniles
• the death penalty for juveniles
• both a and b
•  neither a nor b

 Which constitutional amendment prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment”?

• the Second Amendment
•  the Third Amendment
• the Eighth Amendment
• the Ninth Amendment

What is the central issue explored in the article? 

• What crimes do juveniles commit most often?
• Should juvenile justice be handled by the states or the federal government? 
• Should the juvenile justice system punish parents? 
• Should juvenile justice focus on punishment or rehabilitation?

 When Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan wrote that teen offenders have “diminished culpability,” you can infer she meant that they 

• face grim futures in prison. 
• may not be fully responsible for their crimes
• are often swayed by adults to commit crimes. 
• are not affected by sentencing guidelines.

Which excerpt from the article best supports the answer to question 6?

• “But in the new century, authorities began to rethink their approach.”
• “The shift toward punishment led to a ballooning juvenile prison population in the 1990s.”
• “. . . areas of the brain that deal with decision making, impulsiveness, and consequences are often not fully developed until people are in their 20s.”
• “This led many politicians, community leaders, and police officials to demand action.”

At the end of the article, why does William G. Otis point out the case of teen offender Wendell Callahan?

•  to suggest that tough punishments are needed
• to suggest that most teens can be rehabilitated
• to criticize the actions of victims’ rights groups 
• to call for more juvenile courts

George W. Bush was president during which war(s)? 

•  the Vietnam War only
• the Persian Gulf war and the war in Iraq
• the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan
• the war in Afghanistan only

President Bush’s new book is a collection of 

• in-depth interviews.
• essays and paintings.
• war-themed poems.
• none of the above