JUVENILE SERVICES FOR TROUBLED YOUTH IN ARKANSAS AND OTHER STATES

• NCJ Number: 47047
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 35 pages
• Corporate Author: Arkansas Legislative Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SUPERFICIAL REVIEW IS UNDERTAKEN OF JUVENILE SERVICES IN ARKANSAS, AND SOME COMPARISONS WITH OPERATIONS ONGOING IN OTHER STATES ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

THIS REPORT ATTEMPTS TO SURVEY THE SYSTEM OF JUVENILE JUSTICE IN ARKANSAS AND TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE RECENT AND FORTHCOMING CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM WHICH REPRESENT ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THE SYSTEM MORE SUCCESSFUL. THIS REPORT ALSO OFFERS A BRIEF SURVEY OF JUVENILE SERVICES IN OTHER STATES AND OF NATIONAL TRENDS, INCLUDING COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS. AN INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW OF JUVENILE SERVICES IN THE STATE IS PROVIDED AND A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS PRESENTED. THE FUNCTION OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS REVIEWED. THE VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE STATE POLICE, 75 SHERIFFS DEPARTMENTS, AND 250 MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ENCOUNTER THE JUVENILE PROBLEMS ON A FIRSTHAND, DAILY BASIS. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE ALMOST UNLIMITED DISCRETION IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO CHARGE OR RELEASE YOUTH OFFENDERS. ARREST, PETITION, INTAKE, THE ROLE OF THE COURT, APPEAL, AND ADJUDICATION OPTIONS SUCH AS HOME SUPERVISION, COMMITMENT, AND TRAINING SCHOOLS, ARE DISCUSSED. THE FUNCTIONING OF THE OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES IS REVIEWED. THE TRAINING SCHOOLS AND THEIR CURRENT INMATE POPULATION ARE DESCRIBED WITH A SECTION CONCERNING THE FACILITY FOR FEMALES (OF WHOM 77 PERCENT ARE STATUS OFFENDERS). THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF THE COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH SERVICE SYSTEM ARE OUTLINED. THESE INCLUDE DIVERSION, COURT SERVICES, DIAGNOSTIC AND EVALUATION SERVICES, EMERGENCY SHELTER, ALTERNATIVE LIVING, PREVENTION AND SOCIALIZATION SERVICES, VOCATIONAL SERVICES, AND FAMILY SERVICES. THE SCOPE OF ARKANSAS' OPERATIVE, JURISDICTIONAL DEFINITION OF STATUS OFFENDERS IS PRESENTED AND IT IS NOTED THAT THE STATE IS COMMITTED TO ENDING INSTITUTIONALIZATION FOR STATUS OFFENDERS. VARIOUS YOUTH SERVICES FLOW CHARTS ARE PRESENTED. DEVELOPMENTS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE GROUP HOME CONCEPT AS EMPLOYED BY A NUMBER OF STATES IS REVIEWED. VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN OTHER STATES ARE NOTED. AN APPENDIX IS PROVIDED CONTAINING NOTES ON SERVICES THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH THE OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES. (KBL)