NCJ Number
175650
Journal
American Jails Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: September/October 1998 Pages: 79-85
Date Published
1998
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper was presented at the American Jail Association Training Conference, April 29, 1998.
Abstract
The current increase in the numbers of juveniles in adult jails is the result of: (1) judicial waiver (also known as certification, reference and remand); (2) statutory transfer (also known as automatic adult offenses and legislative exclusion); and (3) prosecutor discretion (also known as direct file and concurrent jurisdiction). Youth who are statutory transfers often have had a serious first-time offense, minimal correctional institutional history and minimal institutional adaptability skills. Little is known about the effects on the future behavior of transferred juveniles in terms of average delinquency rates or later adult recidivism rates. There has been little research on the impact of this population in adult institutions relative to safety and security. However, one study has shown that juveniles were eight times more likely to commit suicide in adult jails than in juvenile detention facilities. The article discusses managing juveniles in jails, planning for new facilities, suicide assessment and mental health profile and educational services for a youthful population.