NCJ Number
44929
Date Published
1976
Length
0 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF REASONS FOR AND OF COMMON PRACTICE IN THE DETENTION OF JUVENILES IS PRESENTED IN THIS RECORDED SPEECH.
Abstract
THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES IN JAILS AND OTHER DETENTION FACILITIES HAS INCREASED AND THE QUALITY OF THE JAILS HAS DECREASED. ONE-THIRD TO ONE-HALF OF ALL THE JUVENILES BEING HELD IN DETENTION ARE STATUS OFFENDERS, AND TWO-THIRDS ARE WAITING FOR COURT ACTION. SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE LARGE NUMBER OF JUVENILES BEING HELD IN DETENTION ARE LISTED. IT IS NOTED THAT THE FURTHER THE DETENTION HALL IS FROM THE POLICE, GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE LOWER THE RATE OF PLACEMENT AT JUVENILE HALL. WHEN THERE IS EASY ACCESS TO THE DETENTION FACILITY, THE GENERAL TENDENCY ON THE PART OF THE POLICE IS TO REFER JUVENILES THERE TO LET SOMEONE ELSE WORRY ABOUT THEM. IF JUVENILES ARE APPREHENDED AFTER COURT HOURS, THEY ARE PUT INTO DETENTION, WHERE THEY ARE KEPT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THIS MAY BE DELIBERATE ON THE PART OF THE POLICE. YOUTH ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE DETAINED IF APPREHENDED ON THE STREETS OR IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ADULTS OR PARENTS AROUND TO INTERVENE IN THE SITUATION. JUVENILES ARE LESS FREQUENTLY HELD IN DETENTION WHEN INTAKE PERSONNEL ARE AVAILABLE FOR SCREENING AND DETENTION HEARINGS. THE HIGHER THE CREDIBILITY OF THE REFERRING SOURCE TO THE COURT, THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD OF DETENTION. THE TIME OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, PUBLIC ATTITUDES, AND THE INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONS OF COURT WITH OTHER COMMUNITY AGENCIES ARE ALL FACTORS PERTINENT TO THE DETENTION RATE OF JUVENILES. MORE DATA ON DETENTION ARE NEEDED, AND NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR DETENTION SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED. JUVENILES MUST NOT BE HELD SIMPLY FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION OR THE PROTECTION OF OTHERS. THEY MUST BE SUSPECTED OF COMMITTING AN OFFENSE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT DEPRIVATION OF THEIR LIBERTY. (BAC)