NCJ Number
75270
Date Published
1967
Length
612 pages
Annotation
Prepared for criminal justice personnel who work with juveniles, this three-volume training manual addresses decisionmaking at each stage of juvenile processing through five detailed case histories and selected readings.
Abstract
This curriculum was developed by the University of California's School of Criminology but gathered much of its information from panels of criminal justice professionals in the counties of Alameda, San Francisco, and San Mateo. An introduction comments on training needs, describes the manual's background, and then discusses juvenile delinquency from the viewpoints of the police and the courts. The training manual itself consists of five case studies of offenses committed by juveniles which are presented as they would be handled by the juvenile officer responsible for making a screening decision from the initial encounter with the police through probation, detention hearing, and adjudication hearing. Cases include report forms, statements, conversations, and evaluations of the offenders. All take place in a hypothetical locale whose characteristics, geography, and law enforcement agencies are summarized. Several social science readings are included in each case. The first case involves the arrest of three boys for malicious mischief and glue sniffing and focuses on the judge's role. The second investigates four boys suspected of burglarizing a school and examines the influence of institutions on delinquents. Case three addresses dispositions of two lower class black youths arrested for purse snatching. Dispositional alternatives for three male and two female teenagers involved in joyriding and drinking and the role of social welfare agencies in delinquency prevention are the subjects of the fourth case. The final study concerns an attempted rape of a 15-year-old girl by two boys. An instructor's guide emphasizes that the materials are most effective when presented to groups of no more than 12 persons. Discussion outlines are provided for each case study to aid the instructor in focusing trainees' attention on important points, issues, and concepts. A chart illustrating decision points in police and probation handling of juveniles is appended.