Juvenile Justice Vocabulary
Juvenile - adj: of or relating to young people; noun: a young person
Culpable - adj: deserving blame
Adolescence - noun: the period following the onset of puberty during which a young
person develops from a child to an adult
Advocate - noun: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or
policy.
Delinquency - noun: a minor crime, especially that committed by young people
Delinquent - adj: showing or characterized by a tendency to commit crime, particularly
minor crime; noun: a delinquent person
Rehabilitation - noun: (in criminal justice) punishment intended to reform a convict so that
they can lead a productive life free from crime. Objectives are therapeutic rather than
punitive (punishment)
Prosecution - the person or persons representing the district attorney’s office. Attempts to
gain a conviction against the accused. If there is a victim in the case, the prosecutor acts on
the victim’s behalf.
Defense - represents the defendant, or person who was charged with the crime. the
objective of the defense is to argue in opposition to the prosecutor, highlighting
reasonable doubt to make a case for the defendant’s innocence.
Retributive Justice - a system of criminal justice based on the punishment of offenders
rather than on rehabilitation.
Restorative Justice - a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of
offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large
Gray matter - contains cell bodies and connections between cells
Synapse - noun: a junction between two nerve cells