ABSTRACT
FACTS ABOUT THE UNITED STATES Area: By land mass, the United States is the third-largest country and includes 50 states and the nation’s capital, the District of Columbia, encompassing 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million square kilometers). Population: e national population in 2012 (estimate) was 313,914,040, with 23.5% of the population under 18 years. About 17% of the population was Hispanic or Latino and 13% was African American. With a population of 8.3 million (estimate), New York City is the largest city in the United States, followed by Los Angeles, California (3.8 million), and Chicago, Illinois (2.7 million). Population growth ranged from approximately 1.6% in 1960 to 7% in 2011. Population density is about 87.4 people per square mile. Climate: e overall climate of the United States is temperate, but varies considerably with the seasons of the year. ere are nine distinct regional climates and they combine both tropical and colder climates. Government: Washington is the nation’s capital (population: 4.1 million). e United States is a federal democracy with three branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive. e bicameral legislative branch includes 435 members of the House of Representatives and 100 members of the Senate. e judicial branch includes a nine-member Supreme Court and 11 United States Courts of Appeal. e
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Introduction 370 Historical Developments 370 Prevailing Delinquency eories 376
e Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 377 Detention 378
e U.S. Supreme Court and Youth 379 Capital Punishment and Life without Parole Sentences for Youth 381 Evidence-Based Practice 384 Juvenile Justice Models 385
Protection of Children and Youth 386 Adolescence and Psychological Development 387 Continuing and Future Issues 387 Review/Discussion Questions 390 References 390 Internet Sources 394
Juvenile justice in the United States is not one system but rather 51 systems that are legislated by each state and the federal government. e respective systems are guided by policies and philosophies that reect state and regional dierences while also maintaining some continuity with established national guidelines and judicial opinions and mandates. In 2012, there were approximately 314 million people living in the United States, and about 74 million were youth under the age of 18 (OJJDP Statistical Brieng Book 2013). is chapter identies general themes and developments, and presents characteristics that reect prevailing views and policies of juvenile justice in the United States. e information includes consideration of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (“the Beijing Rules”) adopted in 1985 and how they are (or are not) reected in U.S. policies and practices. Several of “the Beijing Rules” that will be referenced in this chapter are listed in Table 15.1.
