PRELIMINARY NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE STATUS OFFENDER AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: ROLE CONFLICTS, CONSTRAINTS, AND INFORMATION GAPS

• NCJ Number: 64968
• Author(s): W M FRASER; J SUTTON
• Editor(s): C P SMITH, D J BERKMAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 236 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77NI-99-0009; 77JN-99-0008
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: American Justice Institute
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPORTS OF THE NATIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTERS

Annotation

THIS PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE MAJOR PROBLEMS, ISSUES, AND NEEDS IN REGARD TO JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM HANDLING OF THE STATUS OFFENDER.

Abstract

MAIL SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED OF PLANNING AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS, SPECIALIZED SOURCES OF STATISTICAL DATA WERE CONSULTED; AND AN EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WERE UNDERTAKEN. ALTHOUGH THE PRESENT EMPHASIS OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM ORIENTATION APPEARS TO BE ON THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN'S LEGAL RIGHTS AND THE STRENGTHENING AND ENHANCING OF THE ROLE AND CAPACITY OF THE FAMILY AS THE PRIMARY SOCIALIZING AGENT, A MORE UNIFORM APPROACH TO POLICY DEVELOPMENT IS NEEDED IN THE LEGISLATIVE AREA. MOREOVER, COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION IS GENERALLY NOT BEING COLLECTED BY NATIONAL OR STATE AGENCIES ON THE PROCESSING OF STATUS OFFENDERS BY THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND THERE IS A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING REGARDING STATUS OFFENDER PROGRAMS (E.G., GOALS, ACTIVITIES, AND EVALUATIONS). THOSE WHO DESIGN PROGRAMS TO DELIVER SERVICES TO STATUS OFFENDERS SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL TO DEVELOP THEM ON EVIDENCE FROM OTHER EXPERIENCE AND TO SUBSTANTIATE ANY PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH EVALUATIONS AND RESEARCH. OTHER ISSUES WHICH MUST BE CONSIDERED IF CONTINUED PROGRESS IS TO BE MADE FOR STATUS OFFENDERS ARE THE CONFLICTING PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS REGARDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AGENCIES; THE IMPACT OF STATE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING; THE REDUCTION OF SYSTEM RESISTANCE TO CHANGE; THE NEED FOR MORE RELIABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION REGARDING JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM PROCESSING OF STATUS OFFENDERS; THE ROLE OF THE JUVENILE COURT WITHIN THE STATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM; THE IMPACT OF LEGISLATIVE CHANGES ON THE POLICE, THE COURTS, JUVENILES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY; POTENTIAL POLICYMAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION CONFLICTS AMONG FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS; AND THE NEED FOR A NATIONAL YOUTH AND FAMILY POLICY TO SET A FRAMEWORK FOR FURTHER PROGRESS IN THE STATUS OFFENDER AREA. APPENDIXES LIST PERSONNEL FROM THE NATIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM ASSESSMENT CENTER, THE STUDY METHODOLOGY, AND REFERENCES. TABULAR DATA, FIGURES, AND FOOTNOTES SUPPORT THE TEXT.