Effects on Violence of Laws and Policies Facilitating the Transfer of Youth from the Juvenile to the Adult Justice System

• NCJ Number: 221495
• Journal: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Volume: 56 Issue: RR-9 Dated: November 30, 2007 Pages: 1-16
• Author(s): Robert Hahn Ph.D.; Angela McGowan J.D.; Akiva Liberman Ph.D.; Alex Crosby M.D.; Mindy Fullilove M.D.; Robert Johnson M.D.; Eve Moscicki Sc.D.; LeShawndra Price Ph.D.; Susan Snyder Ph.D.; Farris Tuma Sc.D.; Jessica Lowy; Peter Briss M.D.; Stella Cory M.D.; Glenda Stone Ph.D.
• Date Published: November 2007
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded on February 4, 2008

Annotation

A review of published scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of law and policies that facilitate the transfer of juveniles to the adult criminal justice system was conducted to determine whether these transfers prevented or reduced violence among youth who had been transferred and among the juvenile population as a whole.

Abstract

The effects of transfer policies on violence and other crime across levels of severity of crime for which the juvenile was initially charged require further study. To assure comparability, the reviewed studies control for the severity of the crime for which the juvenile is a risk for being transferred and, where possible, for the juvenile’s criminal history. These studies did not generally assess whether transfer had different effects for juveniles with more or less serious offenses and offense histories. Transfer might be more effective or less harmful if restricted to the most serious offenders. The changes assessed in this review have resulted in lowering the thresholds for the seriousness of crimes for which juveniles are transferred, thereby facilitating transfer. The findings in this report indicate that transfer policies have generally resulted in increased arrest for subsequent crimes, including violent crime, among juveniles who were transferred compared with those retained in the juvenile justice system. To the extent that transfer policies are implemented to reduce violent or other criminal behavior, available evidence indicates that they do more harm than good. Recommendations are presented based on the findings of this review encouraging discussion among legislators and others interested in juvenile justice transfer laws and policies. The purpose of this review, conducted by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, was to determine whether laws or policies that facilitate the transfer of juveniles from the juvenile to the adult criminal justice system reduce interpersonal violence, either specifically among juveniles who have experienced the adult justice system or in the general juvenile population. References