NCJ Number
75603
Date Published
Unknown
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This booklet of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency refutes the claim advanced by the media that punitive measures for juvenile delinquents are effective.
Abstract
The study which forms a basis of recent media opinion, compares recidivism rates of chronic delinquents who have been committed to two correctional systems in Chicago. The authors of the study contend that all types of intervention by the juvenile justice system reduce recidivism rates but argue that more drastic methods are more effective. Press treatment of the study suggests that locking up young offenders will solve the problem of juvenile crime. However, it is disputable that the Chicago correctional system are comparable, since one system represents a single type of intervention, while the other consists of several different treatments. The two groups of youths may also not be comparable in terms of age; seriousness and frequency of prior offenses and the youths' home life and school record, are not considered in the study. Moreover, States with high rates of incarceration for both juveniles and adults (e.g., Texas) have not experienced lower crime rates, while in States which favor community programs, no increase has been recorded in either the amount or seriousness of juvenile crime. Moreover, youths are often abused both physically and psychologically in institutions. The 'get tough' approach only serves to bring more youngsters into the penal system without addressing the problems posed by the violent few. The National Council on Crime and Delinquency supports the current Federal policy of providing a broad network of alternatives for youngsters in trouble with the law; few violent youngsters should be held in smaller detention facilities near their homes. Twenty notes are provided.