Approximately 20 million people attend college in the U.S., with about 800,000 attending Florida colleges and universities. Students take much-needed breaks from studying during end-of-year holidays, returning to their homes to spend time with loved ones and unwind. This mass migration marks the beginning of one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year. Students…
Curfew laws are designed to mitigate the potential for adolescents to become crime victims. By the same token, they aim to keep minors out of trouble and reduce criminal activity. The state’s curfew law designates specific periods during which young people under 16 may not be out unattended. In Florida, each county and city must…
A little over a month after the Parkland school shooting, the shooter’s younger brother, Zachary Cruz, was arrested for trespassing on the school grounds. He told Broward County deputies that he had returned to the school to “reflect on the shooting.” The judge sentenced him to six months of probation for doing so. Under the…
Regardless of the offense they may have committed, a juvenile confined in a youth detention center has a smaller voice than an incarcerated adult. When the people in their care grossly violate the code of conduct, youth offenders often become victims. They may not be fully aware that there is a problem or they may…
As adolescents blossom it’s natural to expect that they will make mistakes that can possibly have negative consequences; however when these mistakes extend to criminal matters, a minor’s bright future can take a turn for the worst. These days, a typical school yard fight can lead to an arrest for assault and battery. What was…
While there have been fewer arrests of juveniles for minor crimes overall, the use of civil citations throughout Florida has been sporadic and sparse. Fifty of the sixty-seven counties in the state used civil citations in the past year less than 60% of the time, earning the state an “F” by the report “Stepping Up:…
Throughout the country, an accidental shooting ends the life of a child every other day. According to the Tampa Bay Times, a child 17 and under dies every 17 hours in Florida alone. Firearm shootings killed or injured nearly 3,200 kids between 2010 and 2015; the number of deaths and injuries children have sustained since…
When it comes to juvenile justice, America handles things quite differently from other developed countries. In 2005, the United States was the last Western nation to abolish the juvenile death penalty. Today, it remains the only country in the world where judges sentence children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Estimates from…
In this land of opportunity, adulthood begins at eighteen. At eighteen, you gain your full rights and responsibilities. You are legally able to vote, sign contracts, marry, and even die for your country. Though you cannot drink alcohol, you can make decisions that will seriously impact your future because you are deemed competent enough to…
Can you guess the worst state in which to be an adolescent facing trouble with the law? If you answered Florida, you’d be right. Though New York and North Carolina stand out for having the lowest age at which juveniles can be tried as adults no matter what their crimes (16), Florida transfers more kids…
