NCJ Number
181602
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 63 Issue: 2 Dated: December 1999 Pages: 40-43
Editor(s)
Ellen W. Fielding
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The advent of computer juvenile delinquents may change many of the concepts of juvenile offenses and juvenile rehabilitation.
Abstract
In May 1998, the first Federal prosecution of a juvenile computer crime occurred in Massachusetts. Other Federal prosecutions ensued in New York, California, and Alabama. By the end of 1998, at least five juveniles had been federally prosecuted for offenses ranging from stealing passwords to hacking computers at the Pentagon and NASA to accidentally shutting down an airport's runway lights and communications. Computer juvenile delinquents are also having an impact on state juvenile justice systems. Numerous factors combine to make computer juvenile delinquents a serious topic for juvenile corrections officials. Young people are advanced technologically with the advent of the Internet, and computers provide many opportunities that were not available in the past. Jurisdictional concerns associated with technological crimes make adjudicating computer juvenile delinquents more complicated than typical delinquency cases. Further, some computer juvenile delinquents are likely to become adult computer offenders. Young people can be prevented from committing computer crime by educating them on how to be responsible computer users. A code of responsible computing is included. 22 references