What is the difference between juvenile justice and the adult justice system?

The juvenile justice system and the adult justice system in Virginia are two separate systems designed to address criminal matters. The juvenile justice system focuses on young offenders who are under the age of 21 and the adult justice system focuses on those over the age of 18 who are more experienced in the criminal process. In the juvenile justice system, young offenders are typically held accountable for their actions in a less adversarial manner than adults. In Virginia, juvenile cases are heard by a juvenile court judge rather than a trial jury. Additionally, the primary focus of the proceedings and ensuing sentence is on rehabilitation of the juvenile rather than punishment. In contrast, the adult justice system focuses on criminal punishment and is a much more adversarial process. Those accused in the adult criminal justice system in Virginia typically go through a jury trial and will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment if found guilty of a criminal offense. The main differences between juvenile justice and the adult justice system in Virginia is that juvenile adjudication is focused on rehabilitation and often administered in a less adversarial tone than adult criminal proceedings, which are focused on determining a criminal punishment.

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