ABSTRACT
This entry is concerned with the decision making challenges involved in the prosecution of juvenile offenders in the United States. Prosecutors perceive their role as being that of administrators of moral and legal justice. They are expected, and indeed, they expect of themselves, to know instinctively the right thing to do in cases involving juvenile offenders; yet this is often not a clear-cut decision. This entry discusses the inherent difficulties and role conflicts faced by prosecutors in making such determinations.
