Juvenile Justice

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is America's fastest growing religions, and its influence circles globe.

The crimes are shocking, the perpetrators alarmingly young. A 15-year-old who brutally murdered his parents; a 15-year-old participant in a fatal car-jacking; a 17-year-old who killed a schoolmate in a robbery gone wrong. Prosecutors have labelled them "the worst of the worst". All three of them will spend the rest of their lives in jail as a result of mandatory sentencing laws.

World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.

Should we be using rehabilitation or incarceration for errant youth? Or a combination of both? Many feel that punishment is the only option for a teenager who commits a crime, but what happens to that teen after they have been placed 'in the system'? Daniel Beaty moderates workshops with incarcerated youth to find out their feelings and suggestions. We also hear from former incarcerated youth, directors of rehabilitation facilities and academics. There are no easy answers to our questions, but perhaps hearing from the youth in Nebraska could help other states in formulating their Justice programs for juveniles.

From the confines of America's juvenile detention facilities to the razor wire of juvenile prison to the heart pounding juvenile courtroom hearings where everything is on the line, Lake County Juvenile Justice explores where juvenile crime begins, how it evolves, and what's at stake for kids, families and professionals in the system.

Should our nation's "kid killers" be treated with kid gloves? It's a polarizing debate that continues to rage in the judicial system, and in the ever-changing court of public opinion. While some argue that anyone who commits a murder should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of age, there are others who believe that child and teen killers deserve a shot at rehabilitation. One particularly gruesome case in Pennsylvania in 1995 thrust the issue into the national spotlight.

Examining case studies of juveniles who have committed violent crimes. Included: a look at why increases in youth crime are "pushing the system to its limits."

A judge's stance on juvenile crime in a small town gains praise, until suspicions arise about his motives. Scandal unfolds, lives are shattered and a secret comes to light, exposing corruption at the highest levels of the justice system.

The stories of convicted child offenders imprisoned for life without parole, but are seeking resentencing.

Kids Behind Bars examines how children are held in inhuman and degrading conditions in prisons around the world. It looks at the exploitation, torture, harm, and abuse that some children suffer at the hands of adults who supposedly represent the law. It visits and interviews juvenile offenders from all over the world include the United States, Mongolia, England, the Philippines, Georgia, Brazil, and Turkey.

A documentary about juveniles who are serving life in prison without parole and their victims' families.

A Documentary examining the lives of teenagers in young offenders institutes.

At Colorado's innovative Youthful Offender System, violent juvenile felons are given a last chance at a crime-free life before going to adult prisons. But if they fail, hard time could mean sexual abuse or risk of suicide.