NCJ Number
93044
Date Published
1981
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This report surveys the issue of confidentiality and the role it plays in Missouri's juvenile justice system and then recommends specific changes in current provisions relating to confidentiality.
Abstract
Missouri has a multitude of statutes protecting the privacy of juveniles. While the courts, Division of Family Services, Division of Youth Services, and Department of Mental Health are subject to statutory limitations, each of the 43 circuit courts operate according to local policies and each State agency has promulgated its own regulations. Since no two statutory provisions are identical, inconsistencies and gaps exist. The Missouri Juvenile Justice Review Committee reviewed current statutes and regulations in Missouri and other States, as well as model codes. It then made recommendations based on the assumption that needs existed for maximum consistency within and across agency boundaries, maximum freedom in the exchange of information, and maximum sanctions for those found violating confidentiality provisions. To achieve consistency, the Committee recommended including several definitions in the statute. It also suggested that persons violating a confidentiality provision be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and subject to contempt action and/or administrative discipline. The Committee proposed that a single body be given authority to collect statewide aggregates of data on juvenile service systems; that certain agencies have consistent general access to juvenile records; and that schools, child abuse and neglect investigations, and courts of general jurisdiction where the juvenile is not the subject of the proceedings have limited access under specified circumstances. Other recommendations addressed photographing juveniles and mechanisms to dispose of records. An executive summary is provided.