Four Kids - Shawn. Juvenile Justice - Research Paper Example

Was Shawn treated differently because he is from a wealthy family? Because he is white? Shawn was charged with several criminal offences in the juvenile courts. Shawn attempted to kill his father for no apparent reason. After the attempted murder, Shawn was not subjected to the life sentence in the adult criminal court. This criminal offence was supposed to be dealt with in an adult criminal court. This case was referred to the juvenile system but Shawn still misbehaved in the cells by engaging in oral sex .

He was released out of the cell in order to attend his classes as well as psychological counselling session. He was allowed to interact with family and have meals with them. Shawn still involved in criminal activities due to the freedom he was given before he finished the sentence in the juvenile court. In the case of murder attempt, the parents influenced Shawn to accept that he was guilty of the offence in order to avoid being charged in the adult criminal court. This amounts to injustice because Shawn escapes the necessary justice process of justice due to the influence of his parents.

Shawn was therefore treated according to the laws of the state since he was released and he went ahead to participate in other criminal activities though he was supposed to be sentenced. In the context of the psychiatrist evaluation, it was claimed that there was no actual evidence of Shawn’s psychological test. They claimed that Shawn was affected by Marijuana and this made him avoid the sentence in the adult criminal court. The justice system did not subject Shawn to the right process of justice since he was not charged of his criminal activities in the several phenomena he participated in.

Shawn was also given excess freedom and this gave him much time to engage in more criminal activities. In relation to the outcome of the case concerning oral sex between Shawn and his cellmate, injustice was done since Shawn was not charged with the crime but he was allowed to stay in the juvenile hall again. The prosecutor argued that Shawn was treated depending on his socioeconomic status as well as the racial background. This amounted to injustice and inequity in this case. In my opinion, Shawn was treated differently from the influence wealthy family as shown by the way the parents influenced him to accept the charges of murder attempt.

The influence of the parents was also shown by the fact Shawn was allowed to freely interact with his parents and have meals at home. This therefore may be due to the fact the Shawn was from a wealthy family. This amounted to inequality and discrimination because other inmates were not allowed to attend classes and interact with the community before the sentence is over. Attorney Bridgett Jones argued that it was unfair to give Shawn a break and freedom to freely interact with the community and other students while the other children in the juvenile hall were held indoors.

This was basically because he was from a wealthy family while at the same time he was a white. This therefore suggests that Shawn was treated differently due to his racial and economic status leading to inequity in administration of justice. 2. Do you believe Shawn’s story about sleep walking? Why or why not? What is sleepwalking and what is there about this phenomenon that makes this improbable? Possible? In relation to the condition of Shawn, I believe that he was influenced by the excessive use of Marijuana as well as drinking.

The state of mind may have therefore been altered by the excessive use of marijuana leading to the sleepwalking condition. This story about sleepwalking therefore seems to bear some truth due to the fact that Shawn attacked his father for no apparent reason. The attack on his father strengthens the belief that Shawn was affected by sleepwalking since a normal person may not intentionally attack his father while asleep for no apparent reason. It is therefore possible that Shawn is affected by this condition because he was subjected to drinking by his mother.

It is also clear that Shawn lacked parental care and support because his father is often on business trips. Both parents therefore had no time to take care of Shawn when he was young. This also made Shawn engage in excessive use drugs and criminal activities. The excessive use of marijuana may have therefore led to his sleepwalking condition. The parents have neglected this teenager by not giving him the necessary guidance and counselling. In the context of the state duties, the kids should be taken through rehabilitation programs in order to reform them.

The state should ensure that the kids are taken through psychological guiding and counselling sessions in order to discourage them from engaging in criminal activities. The guidance and counselling program will help to instill moral and conscience in the children thereby discouraging involvement in the criminal activities. The children should also be given parental support and assistance in order to eliminate the chances and threats of participating in harmful activities and abuse of drugs. In conclusion, Shawn should time be subjected to an intensive guidance and counselling programme in order to ensure that his habit is rectified.

The parent should also create for this kid in order to discourage him from the harmful and criminal activities. The kid should also be taken through a rehabilitation programme in order to reduce or stop the use of such drugs. References Four Kids - Shawn | Juvenile Justice | FRONTLINE | PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/four/shawn.html