NCJ Number
149242
Date Published
1994
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This report identifies critical issues in juvenile justice reform and offers broad recommendations to Utah legislators.
Abstract
A trend analysis of juvenile offending indicates a recent increase in the number of serious and violent offenses, although Utah's juvenile crime rate itself has not increased. Gang membership, another common juvenile problem in the United States, has also increased dramatically in Utah since the 1980's; however, unlike in other States, only 33 percent of gang members and associates are juveniles. In weighing the overall juvenile crime issue, the Utah juvenile justice system continues to believe that community based alternatives to incarceration and preventive programs are most effective and that long-term secure care should be reserved for chronic and violent juveniles. This policy is also in keeping with fiscal considerations since secure care is the most expensive option for managing juvenile offenders. At the same time, Utah legislators should be cautious in legislating the development of boot camps because little evidence about the effectiveness of these programs exists. Other issues addressed in the report include judicial waivers/transfers of juveniles to adult courts, the disproportionate representation of minorities in Utah's juvenile justice system, and the organizational structure of the Utah juvenile justice system. The four mandates of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (1974) and a list of current juvenile justice projects are appended.