Why are juvenile records confidential?
When a juvenile breaks the law his criminal record is sealed. The theory is that young people can be salvaged and rehabilitated and should not have to carry the burden of a criminal record throughout the remainder of their life. Many juvenile offenses, therefore, are considered civil rather than criminal matters; however, unlike regular civil cases, a juvenile’s court files are not open to public scrutiny.SituationalThe confidentiality of a juvenile’s records is not blanket but rather situational, according to Free Advice. Different states will have different rules because juvenile court is controlled by state statutes.Time FrameRecords, although not open to the public, generally remain in existence after the juvenile becomes an adult because if the juvenile re-offends as an adult his punishment as an adult may depend on his prior juvenile record.Three StrikesIn some states there is the “three strikes” law, which increases penalties if an offender has a history of violence and convicti
