Contrasting+Theory+with+Reality

====**Guiding Question: How does France's stated policy on juvenile delinquency compare to the films' portayals of relationships between authority and youths?**====

Except from a description of //The French Juvenile Justice System// concerning police intervention policies:

Discretionary powers of the police
"The police do not have discretionary powers. When a minor is arrested he cannot be held in police custody without the agreement of the prosecutor's office ("parquet"). To avoid police custody, the prosecutor occasionally asks the police to call the minor back for voluntary questioning. The prosecutor also has the right to decide whether the minor will be brought before him or not. He can ask the police to proceed with a so-called "rappel à la loi" whereby the police officer informs the minor, with his parents present, of the sentence he can incur for the offence he is accused of. If the minor does not have a police record and the charges are not serious, the prosecutor can also impose a settlement, done via the judicial police officer. And lastly, in areas that have a community justice centre (maison de justice et du droit), the prosecutor can order the minor to be brought before the prosecutor's representative." (Junger-Tas 2006)

Shift in the French juvenile justice system as described in Anthropological Quarterly ====“Ratification of the CRC [Conventions and the Right of the Child] highlighted in uncomfortable ways the significant gap between new international norms and French legal codes and practices, particularly in the areas of policing, prisons, and trials.... substantive shift in the juvenile justice system from a focus on prevention, assistance and rehabilitation to an emphasis on accountability, restitution, and retribution.” (Terrio 2008; 879) ====

Comparing perspectives on the police
The following document is taken from MIT's Cultura site, where French and American students can compare attitudes and opinions on various topics. We have translated the French parts for you. This one contrasts young French and American people's attitudes toward their respective police: 



Keep in mind the articles from the previous page and the references above. Now watch this scene from the modern French film //La Haine,// and consider if there is a true contrast between the French legal perspective of justice and delinquency and its application, especially relating to authorities and their relationships to youth:

**Warning: the interrogation scene is disturbing. It is not absolutely necessary that you watch the whole thing, but you need to see at least through the beginning part of the interrogation at the police station to get an idea of the relationships.** Watch from 2:10-8:00 La Haine arrest scene