NCJ Number
161778
Date Published
1996
Length
222 pages
Annotation
This book discusses the primary considerations policymakers should use in striking a balance between holding juveniles responsible for past behavior and providing services and opportunities so that their future behavior will be guided by constructive, rather than destructive, forces.
Abstract
The authors argue that among the reasons for the increase in violent juvenile crime between 1988 and 1992 is the correctional practices of juvenile agencies. Many States automatically waiver juvenile cases to adult court by lowering the age for the criminal prosecution of various offenses, particularly violent crimes. Juvenile correctional and detention programs are so overcrowded they have become dangerous environments for juveniles; they not only fail to provide safe opportunities for positive behavioral change, but they promote more violent behavior. Many juvenile facilities have been forced to accommodate to a backlogged adult system. Juveniles held pending their adult trials are often mingled with less serious juvenile offenders who are being processed as juveniles. The authors assert that protection must be balanced with control, and programs for juvenile offenders must be creative, flexible, oriented toward community reintegration, and alert to public safety risks. The topics covered in the book include trends in philosophy and politics, a review of State and local reforms in juvenile justice, the changing role of the juvenile court, development of a balanced continuum of correctional programs, and strategies for reform. 264 references, a subject index, and appended supplementary material