NCJ Number
79945
Journal
ACPC Forum Volume: 2 Issue: 6 Dated: (1979) Pages: 4-11
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The development, operations, and advantages and disadvantages of South Australia's children's aid panels are discussed.
Abstract
Children's aid panels, begun as juvenile aid panels in 1971 and revised in 1979, were established to provide an effective alternative to court appearances for juveniles involved in minor offenses. The panel consists of a senior police officer or a justice of the peace and a social worker from the Department for Community Welfare. In truancy cases, a representative from the education department sits on the panel instead of the police official. Juveniles 10 to 18 years old who have admitted guilt for alleged offenses are eligible to appear before the panel. Excluded are juveniles pleading 'not guilty' and juveniles charged with homicide and traffic offenses. The panel meets with the juvenile and his/her parents or guardian to discuss factors involved in the offense and reasons why it was committed. Any maladjustment in the family, school, social relations, and employment are discussed. The panel may then dispose of the case in the following ways: (1) warning and counsel, (2) a program of activity agreed to by the juvenile and the family, or (3) referral to the juvenile court. Some advantages of the panel are to provide help to juveniles without a conviction being recorded, help minimize court delays and costs of juvenile processing, and involvement of social services in juvenile processing. Some disadvantages are an inherent incentive for juveniles to plead guilty to alleged offenses and a general absence of sophistication in developing and using programs suited to the particular needs of the juveniles. The panels do offer services that make them important as one part of an integrated system for dealing with juveniles. Three footnotes are listed. Data on the operations of the panels from 1972 through 1979 are provided.