NCJ Number
195730
Journal
Juvenile Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring/Summer 1993 Pages: 1-36
Date Published
1993
Length
36 pages
Annotation
Three articles assess conditions of juvenile confinement, identify challenges facing the juvenile justice system and the Nation, and recommend ways for countering the obstacles to recovering parentally abducted children.
Abstract
The study of the conditions of juvenile confinement included a 1991 survey of 984 public and private detention centers, reception centers, training schools, and juvenile ranches in the United States. On a daily basis, these facilities held 69 percent of confined juveniles in the United States. The survey focused on 12 conditions: living space; medical services; food, clothing, and hygiene; living accommodations; security; suicide prevention; inspections and emergency preparedness; education; recreation; mental health services; access to the community; and limits on staff discretion. Although few facilities were completely free of deficiencies according to national standards and the needs of juveniles, only a small number failed to meet a large number of assessment criteria. Investigators thus concluded that conditions of confinement would not be improved materially by reforming or eliminating a small number of severely deficient facilities. The study suggests that improving conditions significantly will require broad-scale reforms that affect routine practices in most facilities. A second article presents an interview with Judge David B. Mitchell, associate judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court who has long been active in juvenile and family law. Issues discussed in the interview include judicial leadership, the requirements for being a juvenile court judge, the delegation of judicial responsibilities, the use of waiver of juveniles to adult court, the use of diversion, the impact of applying strict constitutional requirements to juvenile court procedures, juvenile sentencing, and dealing with violence and drug use by juveniles. The third article reports on a 2-year research project by the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law that addressed the legal, policy, procedural, and practical obstacles to the location, recovery, and return of parentally abducted children. The report also includes recommendations for overcoming or reducing any obstacles.