NCJ Number
158347
Journal
New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1995) Pages: 371-391
Date Published
1995
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The transfer of violent juvenile offenders for trial as adults has become a controversial political issue, and the juvenile transfer law in Massachusetts is analyzed in terms of loss of social control in the United States, increasing juvenile violence, and failure of the incarceration model in the adult criminal justice system.
Abstract
The article traces the development of the juvenile court system and discusses various models for transfer proceedings. The author contends that the containment approach is ill-advised for the adult criminal justice system and that modifying the transfer statute in Massachusetts by adopting the "legislative waiver" approach with attendant increases in the incarceration of juveniles in adult institutions cannot provide a viable solution to the problem of juvenile violence. Rather, a more comprehensive approach which includes increased attention and resources to all components of the juvenile justice system is both appropriate and necessary. The role of the juvenile court, the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, the family, and the community in juvenile violence prevention is emphasized. 84 footnotes