NCJ Number
79982
Date Published
Unknown
Length
113 pages
Annotation
This manual provides information on developing a citizen advisory council (CAC) in a juvenile court jurisdiction. It explains the need for a CAC and describes its potential membership and functions. It also outlines steps entailed in establishing the council.
Abstract
In arguing for the role of citizens in the juvenile justice system, the manual points out that the juvenile is the least visible part of the justice system. The juvenile court needs citizen participation to monitor and support its work because the press does not cover juvenile court cases and because the discretion of juvenile judges extends from accepting or rejecting petitions, through planning treatment programs, to terminating parental rights and deciding when a delinquent is rehabilitated. Furthermore, children, particularly those who are abused, neglected, and delinquent, are not organized into effective consumer groups; concerned citizens should be advocates for these children's interests. The practical procedures recommended for establishing a CAC derive from the experience of two Michigan citizen groups. Education, problem-solving, and systems modification are commonly CAC functions. The persons initiating a CAC need not themselves become members of the council. Planning group tasks include identifying local youth and juvenile justice problems, deciding on CAC's basic purpose, designing its organizational structure, recruiting members, and orienting them to the purpose and design. Other concerns in the developmental stages include incorporation of the organization, bylaws, membership, agendas of meetings, committee structure, and funding. Since many effective ideas for CAC development in Michigan were generated at a 2-day conference, the manual also contains instructions on how to set up a similar meeting. Samples of correspondence, worksheets, and public information materials generated in preparation for the conference are provided. Material pertaining to public relations, community needs assessment, and formation of a core group, as well as a sample member information application, a CAC's 1980 review of activities, and a bibliography of about 40 entries on the subject of a voluntary board of directors are appended.