JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, AND BLACK YOUTH (FROM BLACK PERSPECTIVES ON CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, 1977 BY ROBERT L WOODSON - SEE NCJ-44997)

• NCJ Number: 45000
• Author(s): L A SWAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: G K Hall
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

BLACK JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THIS AREA, THE JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM, PREVENTION EFFORTS, AND BROAD GUIDELINES FOR A COMMUNITY JUVENILE DEVELOPMENT CENTER ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

MANY THEORIES EXPLAIN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN TERMS OF DIFFERENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS, BOTH IN LEGITIMATE AND ILLEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURES. MOST THEORISTS AGREE THAT THE DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE IS A SPECIFICALLY LOWER-CLASS PHENOMENON. MIDDLE-CLASS DELINQUENCY IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED AS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. THE JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM, AT FIRST PRAISED AS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER EARLIER HANDLING OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS, HAS COME UNDER CRITICISM; CRITICS HAVE ARGUED THAT IT HAS FAILED TO ACHIEVE ITS STATED GOALS AND HAS OPPRESSED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST MANY OF THE YOUTH UNDER ITS JURISDICTION. NUMEROUS CASES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT AGAINST JUVENILE COURT OFFICIALS WHO HAVE DENIED JUVENILES THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. IN ADDITION, RACIST POLICE PRACTICES TEND TO INCREASE THE INVOLVEMENT OF BLACK YOUTH IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE AUTHOR ASSERTS THAT BLACK PEOPLE CANNOT DEPEND UPON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO DEVISE PROGRAMS THAT AFFECT THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN IN THEIR COMMUNITY; THEY MUST DEVISE THEIR OWN. CURRENT THEORIES OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND CORRESPONDING PREVENTION EFFORTS ARE INADEQUATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN APPLIED TO BLACK YOUTH. IN THE PROCESS OF GROWING UP IN A HOSTILE WORLD, IT BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR THE MAJORITY OF BLACK YOUTH TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT CONFORM TO THE ARTICULATED NORMS OF SOCIETY. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN THEY PERCEIVE CONTRADICTIONS BY THAT SOCIETY IN ALL AREAS OF HUMAN INTERACTION. THE RESPONSIBILTY OF THE COMMUNITY IS TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM RACISM AND TO PROVIDE SERVICES THAT WOULD ENHANCE YOUTHS JUDGMENTS AND DECISIONS. TOWARD THIS END, A JUVENILE DEVELOPMENT CENTER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN EACH COMMUNITY. A COMMUNITY PANEL SHOULD ASSUME THE POWER AND AUTHORITY THAT THE JUVENILE COURT JUDGE AND PROBATION AUTHORITIES PRESENTLY EXERCISE: ITS COMPOSITION SHOULD REFLECT THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMUNITY, DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE BY THE PANEL IN CONSULTATION WITH PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, AND ON NO OCCASION SHOULD THE JUVENILE BE CONFINED TO PENAL INSTITUTIONS AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITY. A DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM BY CRIMINOLOGIST AND OTHER EXPERTS IN THE FIELD FOLLOWS THE ARTICLE, AND A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (VA)