Criminal Justice Documentaries
Second Chance Kids is a documentary that focusses on the truth behind life without parole among minors. During the 90s period, several teenagers in the U.S were sentenced to life imprisonment for their criminal acts by the jury. Most of the kids were sentenced to life without parole have a history of violent upbringing that coaxed them to crime natures. Therefore, when sentenced to life imprisonment, they are not given a chance to reform their characters and personalities. Several attempts have been put across by human rights activities in changing the American laws concerning the sentencing of minors to life imprisonment without the possibility of having parole. Children are vulnerable beings, and therefore, most of them tend to conform to the background of their upbringing, which could affect their lives. As shown in the documentary, most children sentenced in the 90s were either subject to poor education or peer influence on drug addiction, criminal acts, or music influence.
Several factors influence juvenile delinquency in society, which could range from minor crimes such as skipping classes to violent actions such as murder. Understanding the reasons why a minor got into some of these crimes is quite essential to the future of the young ones. Several factors contribute to juvenile delinquency, which include poor school attendance, violence at homes, peer pressures, violence among the children’s inner circles, substance abuse, and lack of moral guidance. Juvenile delinquency can be eliminated in society only if the community can address the issues affecting children at an early age. It would help mold their characters and act as a protective barrier in creating a serene and secure environment for the loved ones.
The Plea documentary highlights how the court system in the USA handles felony cases. According to the report, approximately 96% of the cases do not get to the jury to determine the sentences. Law offenders are usually subjected t take on plea bargains by their lawyers in exchange for a reduced sentence or term to serve in probation. Often, the law offenders do not know of their rights and the court procedures and therefore choose to follow their lawyers’ decisions and advice. However, most lawyers use the plea bargains as a safety valve to get done with the cases fast as it becomes convenient for them. There is less backlog of follow-ups when a defendant takes a plea bargain. In other cases, some defendants are not even aware of the crime that they are convicted for but are advised by their lawyers to plead guilty to get fewer sentences. Critics on human rights laws, however, argue that pushing defendants to take plea bargains is unconstitutional, and it jeopardizes their rights under the court of law.
Occasionally, plea bargains and lack of access to a court hearing is conducted under the lines of gender, class, and race. Due to the financial capacity in going through the court process, the disadvantaged in the society who find themselves before the court are often subjected to plead guilty and take on the plea bargains. Lawyers use the deals as leverage to avoid a prolonged time of the court sessions and hearing relating to the case. Similarly, it also applies along with the race factors since most African American residents are subjected to plea bargains. In contrast, the whites are given the liberty to continue with court proceedings until the case is determined by the jury.