NCJ Number
173231
Date Published
1998
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This document presents recommendations from a national symposium on juvenile court reform.
Abstract
The mission of the juvenile and family court is the protection of society by correcting children who break the law, the protection of children from abuse and neglect, and the preservation and strengthening of families. The recommendations in this report address the means by which the juvenile and family court accomplishes its mission. These are organized in four areas: Jurisdictional and Structural, including the recommendation that juvenile and family courts shall have broad jurisdiction over the entire range of legal concerns of children and families); Procedural, including the recommendation that children shall have an unwaivable right to effective and well-compensated counsel in all juvenile court cases involving criminal and non-criminal misbehavior and where the child is the victim of abuse or neglect); Program, including the recommendation that the juvenile and family court should use a continuum of program options in the provision of services for dependent, neglected, abused, and delinquent children and their families); and System Accountability, including the recommendation that the juvenile and family court service providers shall use the best available technology to enhance its operations and effectiveness). Notes, appendix