NCJ Number
130233
Editor(s)
F Terry
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This juvenile justice policy statement by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency addresses popular disillusionment with the juvenile justice system and challenges the view that nothing works to prevent crime and rehabilitate offenders.
Abstract
The policy statement restricts adult court jurisdiction over juveniles to those aged 16 or older who are accused of listed serious and violent crimes; prior to any transfer of jurisdiction from the juvenile court, a hearing is required in which the prosecutor must demonstrate that the minor is not amenable to rehabilitation in the juvenile justice system. The statement prohibits the incarceration of minors in adult facilities and removes jurisdiction over status offenders from a justice system deemed unable to meet their needs. The policy statement advocates allocation of a significant share of resources to the assessment of the needs of arrested youth and to the delivery of treatment to these youth. Modern risk-screening methods are recommended upon arrest to determine which arrested youth require pretrial detention, which youth need secure confinement after trial, and the length of secure confinement. Services that target minority youth are recommended, and the application of the death penalty to any person whose offense was committed before the age of 18 is prohibited. Support for delinquency prevention research and proven delinquency prevention programs are advocated. 12 notes