A Comparison of Juvenile Justice Policies Between the United States, Denmark, and Finland

• In Event: Cross-National Studies on Criminal Justice

Abstract

Objective: In the United States, although the juvenile court has been separated from adult court, juvenile justice policies are still harsher than in many countries. Juvenile offenders in the U.S. are likely to face imprisonment and be transferred to the adult system. Conversely, Denmark and Finland have established more rehabilitative policies to secure the best interests of juveniles. This study uses a comparative approach to analyze the trends of punishments and policies and thus understand why juvenile offenders are treated significantly differently.

Data/Methods: The annual juvenile court statistics published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Statistics Denmark and Statistics Finland are used to describe trends of punishment among juveniles in the U.S., Denmark, and Finland.

Results: Although youths’ imprisonment rates are decreasing in the U.S., the rates are still much higher than those in Denmark and Finland. Conversely, most juvenile offenders of criminal prosecution in Denmark and Finland usually receive a conditional sentence, allowing them to serve their sentence in the community under certain conditions.

Conclusions/Implications: Although different cultural and demographic characteristics lead different countries to have polarized policies, policymakers should consider the necessity and proportionality of punishment for juveniles.

Author

• Yu-Heng Chen, Temple University