NCJ Number
121382
Date Published
1987
Length
80 pages
Annotation
The perspective of the political right on a project to develop a model juvenile "just deserts" code contends that the code abandons traditional efforts to rehabilitate juvenile offenders and instead substitutes a punishment system.
Abstract
Under a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Rose Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council distributed the model code to State legislators in 1987. The right believes that concepts of accountability and punishment, with emphasis on locking up juveniles, are the key precepts of the "just deserts" code. Further, the code shows no concern for financial or practical consequences of these concepts. The right indicates that the two organizations who developed the code were not qualified to do so and that the resulting model code is not based on sound juvenile justice philosophies. The code contains sections on judges and probation officers, jurisdiction and venue, custody, detention and detention facilities, the initiation of proceedings, adjudication, disposition, restitution, school discipline, and juvenile alcohol and drug dependence. Supplemental information on juvenile justice reform and rehabilitation is appended. 18 references.