NCJ Number
125394
Journal
Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry Law Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (1989) Pages: 335-344
Date Published
1990
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examines how clinical expertise is used in a specific forensic setting, that is, to provide information and recommendations regarding psychiatric diagnosis and treatment to be used in dispositional planning of juvenile delinquency cases. The setting used was the Boston Juvenile Court Clinic, which offers comprehensive psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial assessment on over 1000 new cases and referrals annually.
Abstract
The study reviewed the records of 140 adolescents arraigned on delinquency matters, 80 of whom were referred to the clinic and 60 of whom were a randomly selected sample of youth not referred to the clinic. Each delinquency record was examined to determine the relationship between referral and the nature of the current charge, the total number of charges in the current appearance, the total number of all delinquency appearances, and the total number of charges for all appearances. The findings indicate that non-violent delinquent youth are selected for clinical evaluation on the basis of explicit probation officer impressions of the offender and his family and demographic factors with little influence exerted by the nature of the charges or the youth's prior record. The youth selected for referral is generally young, from a poor family, with significant school or family problems, and involved in court for a minor delinquency charge; no racial bias is indicated. Referrals seem to reflect the court staff's perception that these youth are at risk for developing further delinquency and in need of a broad plan of preventive intervention. Two issues which remain to be investigated are whether the selection of these youth is an efficient way to discover psychopathology and whether this use of clinical assessment works in terms of prevention. 4 tables, 23 references. (Author abstract modified)