NCJ Number
76631
Date Published
1980
Length
30 pages
Annotation
To assist police officers in handling juveniles, the manual presents important concepts and recent developments in juvenile law with an emphasis on deinstitutionalization through community-based services and programs.
Abstract
A majority of States now participate in the 1974 Federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act which promotes deinstitutionalization and the separation, by sight and sound, of juveniles from adult offenders in jails and other facilities. The stated purpose of most juvenile codes is to provide children with protection and guidance which they are not otherwise receiving. This right to treatment has been interpreted as requiring placement and treatment in the least restrictive setting consistent with the individual child's needs. For that purpose, a variety of program models have been successfully introduced in urban and rural areas, including highly structured group living facilities, statewide shelter care networks providing short-term foster care, counseling and treatment centers, and provisions for followup treatment. Police discretion regarding juveniles is particularly important during intake and diversion. Especially during the intake stage, police officers can exert considerable influence in suggesting alternatives to the traditional juvenile court procedures, including voluntary family or individual participation in treatment, or helping to arrange a restitution agreement. Police departments have developed several criteria (including the nature of the offense, the defendant's age, the attitude of the defendant toward self-improvement, and availablility of community-based rehabilitation programs) to determine the appropriateness of diversion. The IJA-ABA Standards provide important standards for decisionmaking concerning juvenile treatment. The manual has 43 footnotes.