NCJ Number
134143
Date Published
1988
Length
162 pages
Annotation
This 1988 annual report of the New Jersey Juvenile Delinquency Commission assesses the extent to which juvenile justice operations in the State comply with Juvenile Code policy and proposes recommendations designed to move the State's juvenile justice system closer to Code standards.
Abstract
The report notes that although delinquency continues to be a serious problem in the State, overall juvenile crime is decreasing, largely due to declining youth populations. The juvenile justice system, however, is handling an increasing volume of cases; detention and correctional institution populations have skyrocketed. The policy emphasis on local community response to delinquency has had mixed results from community to community. Communities with inadequate resources (often the high-crime communities) have not been able to fund effective local responses to delinquency. Although the Code encourages a broad array of dispositions for juveniles, gaps exist in the envisioned continuum. The high incarceration rate for minority youth violates the Code's standard of equitable treatment, and evaluations of existing juvenile justice programs are rare. Twelve recommendations are designed to improve the juvenile justice system. Recommendations include a more focused local role in delinquency prevention and control, an increase in judges' ability to monitor their dispositions, a focused effort to deal with chronic offenders, a more judicious use of detention, and improved evaluation efforts. A statistical supplement provides data on arrests, docketing, intake, adjudication, dispositions, and detention. 60 tables