The term juvenile delinquency has come to imply a disgrace in today's society. A juvenile delinquent can be labeled a delinquent for breaking any number of laws, from robbery to running away from home. To help better understand the rights to which a minor is entitled, the following situations faced by the criminal justice system when dealing with juvenile offenders will be examined. The two main areas of discussion include; rights of the minor at the time of arrest and additional protections afforded to the minor. These areas will be briefly analyzed to provide an adequate explanation of the issue and to understand whether the additional protections serve the purposes of criminal and social justice. Law enforcement officials have a very important job when dealing with the rights of a minor upon arrest. The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges recommends that judges use a script to ensure that juveniles' due process rights are maintained (Bartollas & Miller, 2008, P.141). When custody of a minor occurs, all procedures must be followed in accordance with state law. If procedures are not followed at the time of arrest, the case could potentially lead to legal action against law enforcement and juvenile court officials. Law enforcement can use discretion when arresting those who commit serious crimes and can also ignore many minor crimes committed by juveniles. As noted by Bartollas and Miller, “After adjudication, a youth is placed in juvenile detention or moved from detention and placed into probation, residential placement, or the adult system, and then released” (2008, P. 18). There are other options for determining what to do with the child, but in more serious cases, in… middle of the document… further action by the judge. Additional protections afforded to minors highlight the procedures that must be afforded in court. Ultimately, the goal of due process procedures should be oriented towards helping the minor to abstain from the criminal justice system. We all agree that delinquent youth should be punished for their criminal behavior and held accountable in accordance with the law, but the protection of their legal rights must not be taken away from them. Works Cited Baker, F (1991). Save our children. New York: Cornelia and Michael Bessie Books.Bartollas, C. & Miller, S. (2008). Juvenile justice in America (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. Seiter, R. P. (2008). Corrections: an introduction. (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Worrall, J. L. (2008). Crime Control in America. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.