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BENIGN NEGLECT OF JUVENILE STATUS CRIMES

NCJ Number
34139
Journal
JOURNAL OF VOLUNTEERS WITH DELINQUENTS Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (SPRING 1972) Pages: 67-80
Author(s)
A STRACHAN
Date Published
1972
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE AUTHOR PROPOSES THAT AN OFFICIAL PROGRAM OF BENIGN STATE, AND ARUGES THAT ALTERNATIVE SOCIAL SERVICES BE UTILIZED IN DEALING WITH STATUS OFFENSE PROBLEMS.
Abstract
THE BASIC THESIS OF THIS ARTICLE IS THAT OFFICIAL LEGAL ACTION TAKEN BY THE STATE IN STATUS OFFENSE SITUATIONS TENDS TO FURTHER JUVENILE CRIME RATHER THAN DIMINISH IT. IT IS ALSO ARGUED THAT SERIOUS INFRINGEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF JUVENILES RESULTS FROM SUCH STATE INTERVENTION. SINCE MANY STATUS OFFENSES ARE THE RESULT OF DYSFUNCTIONAL SOCIAL SITUATIONS, THE AUTHOR MAINTAINS THAT SOCIAL SOLUTIONS SHOULD BE FOUND. THE SANCTIONS OF THE LAW SHOULD BE INVOKED ONLY IN SERIOUS CRIMINAL MATTERS, HE CONTENDS.