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| WASHINGTON, D.C.—The homicide rate has dropped to a 20-year low in the nation's capital, but the number of victims younger that 18 has increased significantly. In 2000, 1 in 20 homicide victims was under 18, but by 2004, the ratio had dropped to 1 in 8.1 Meanwhile, the Justice Department has estimated that there are more than 30,000 gangs in the United States with over 800,000 members and that every city and town in the country with a population of 250,000 or more has a gang problem.2 Are the juvenile homicides related to gang activity? Have the activities of gangs changed in recent years? Should gang members and other juveniles be treated differently by the justice system? To answer these questions, a number of others must be addressed. What, first of all, constitutes a juvenile? Why does the criminal justice system treat juveniles differently from adults? What is the philosophy underlying juvenile justice? And with a special justice system designed for youths, why are so many juvenile cases transferred to adult criminal courts? Indeed, should any juvenile cases be transferred to adult courts? Should there be a death penalty for juvenile murderers? 1. The New York Times, April 2, 2005, A9. 2. The Economist, February 26, 2005, 29. Youth Killings Increase In Washington, killings of people under 18 have increased in the last 5 years, even as overall homicides have decreased. Sources: Washington Metropolitan Police Department; Mayor's Office |