Internet Exercises

1) Serving the mentally ill poses a significant challenge to the police and the criminal justice system. Go to www.psychlaws.org/ and search for the article "Criminalization of Americans with Severe Mental Illnesses" under "Briefing Papers." What are some impacts of the mentally ill on the criminal justice system? What are the reasons for their arrests? How are the mentally ill treated in jails and prisons? Find other facts about the mentally ill population in the United States on this website.

2) Arrest procedures for juveniles and adults vary in many respects. Search your state statutes and legal references to find out the rights of juveniles. For example, the Missouri Bar has information on rights of juveniles in this state at www.mobar.org/pamphlet/juvenile.htm Find the statutes for your state. How are the rights of juveniles different from those of adults? What are the conditions of custody? How are cases handled differently from those involving adults? What kinds of protection do juveniles have concerning their arrest records?