NCJ Number
141235
Date Published
1991
Length
93 pages
Annotation
This booklet critiques the current juvenile justice system and policies by showing that they are based on fallacies rather than facts about juvenile offending patterns; it presents a plan of action for communities to use in reforming their juvenile justice policies.
Abstract
The major fact emphasized by the author is that a relatively small percentage of serious, habitual juveniles account for over half of the serious offenses committed by juveniles, but the juvenile justice system focuses its resources on the broad spectrum of juvenile offenders, who are mostly minor offenders who will "grow out" of their delinquent behaviors under proper community supervision. This failure to focus on habitual, serious juvenile offenders, who can be identified through appropriate screening guidelines, has caused the juvenile justice system to fill its pretrial and posttrial detention facilities with juveniles who have committed nonviolent delinquent acts. In proposing change in the current juvenile justice system, the author supports the greater use of parents, schools, and police in exercising a supervisory and "parenting" role for most juveniles who manifest problem behaviors, while the formal juvenile justice system will focus on the serious, habitual juvenile offender. A proposed plan of community action to implement such a change involves four steps. First, the community conducts a self-assessment of its juvenile justice programs. Second, it develops a formal model program and executes written interagency agreements. This is followed by the implementation of improved procedures and services in participating agencies and institutions. The fourth step is to construct new public policies and promote legislative action to ensure long-term change. Detailed guidelines for implementing these steps are provided. Appended community self-assessment format and supplementary information