FLORIDA - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES - IMPACT OF THE 1975 CINS (CHILDREN IN NEED OF SUPERVISION) DECRIMINALIZATION LEGISLATION

• NCJ Number: 58323
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 187 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-AS-29-E103
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Florida Dept of Health and Rehabilitative Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE EFFECT OF ELIMINATING THE CATEGORY OF CHILDREN IN NEED OF SUPERVISION (CINS), BY THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IN 1975, ON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE LEGISLATURE DELETED THE CINS CATEGORY IN ORDER TO REMOVE CHILDREN, WHO RUN AWAY FROM HOME, BECOME TRUANT, OR UNGOVERNABLE, FROM THE JURISDICTION OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE PRIMARY FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO PASSAGE OF THIS LEGISLATIVE CHANGE WAS THE BELIEF THAT STATUS OFFENDERS COULD NOT BE APPROPRIATELY HANDLED AS LAW VIOLATORS. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT INTAKE PROCEDURES AND PROGRAMS FOCUSING ON PROBLEMS OF FAMILIES, SUCH AS THOSE FOUND IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, RATHER THAN THE REHABILITATION OF DELINQUENT INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAD NOT ACTUALLY COMMITTED A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. THIS ASSUMPTION SUPPORTED AN EFFORT TO MOVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HANDLING RUNAWAY, TRUANT, AND UNGOVERNABLE CASES FROM THE OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES INTO THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SERVICES. THE IMPACT OF THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGE WAS ASSESSED FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES: (1) IMPACT ON STATE SERVICE SYSTEMS (JUVENILE JUSTICE AND CHILD WELFARE), AND (2) IMPACT ON STATUS OFFENDERS IN TERMS OF REFERRAL AND PROCESSING. BASED ON A SAMPLE OF CASES FROM 1975 INTAKE RECORDS AND 1977 INTAKE FILES, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NUMBER OF RUNAWAYS, TRUANTS, AND UNGOVERNABLES HELD IN SECURE DETENTION DECREASED BY 82 PERCENT. INSOFAR AS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF DELETING THE CINS CATEGORY WAS TO REMOVE RUNAWAY, TRUANT, AND UNGOVERNABLE CHILDREN FROM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SERVE THEM THROUGH THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATION WAS ACHIEVED. THE QUANTITATIVE IMPACT OF THE LEGISLATION ON THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, HOWEVER, WAS MODERATE. FURTHERMORE, IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE CHANGE RESULTED IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES TO CHILDREN. PROTECTIVE AND FOSTER CARE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN FORMS USED IN THE EVALUATION. (DEP)