NCJ Number
95389
Date Published
1983
Length
100 pages
Annotation
This third volume in the five-volume series examines the impact of Washington's law implemented in 1978 to hold juveniles accountable for their crimes while holding the system accountable for what it does to juveniles in case disposition, at intake, and in sentencing.
Abstract
Intake and sentencing decisions changed dramatically as a result of the new justice philosophy and the new practices which accompanied its introduction into Washington's juvenile justice system. Sentences in the postreform era were found to be considerably more uniform, more consistent, and more proportionate to the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal record of the youth than were sentences in the rehabilitative system which existed before 1978. The overall level of severity was reduced during the first 2 years after the legislation went into effect, but there was an increase in the certainty that a sanction of some kind would be imposed. There was a marked increase in the use of incarcerative sanctions for the violent and chronic offenders. In the prereform era, 52 percent of these cases received incarcerative sentences and 37 percent were informally adjusted; in the postreform period, 90 percent were incarcerated, 10 percent were placed on probation, and none were adjusted or diverted. In addition, nonviolent first offenders and chronic minor property offenders were less likely to be incarcerated under the new system, but were more likely to pay restitution, do community service work, or be on probation. Fourteen tables, 8 figures, and a 14-item bibliography are included. For other volumes in the series, see NCJ 95387-88 and 95390-91.