NCJ Number
126823
Date Published
1989
Length
46 pages
Annotation
The 1989 conference of the National Coalition of State Juvenile Justice Advisory Groups focused on problems associated with conditions of confinement for juveniles.
Abstract
The 1984 amendments to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) gave the National Coalition the role of advising the President, Congress, and the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. After examining the quality of institutional care for juveniles and the continued use of inappropriate confinement of juveniles by some States and regions, the National Coalition specifically looked at inadequate health care, the quality of education, disciplinary abuses, and deficiencies or weaknesses in other treatment programs appropriate to the delivery of services for adjudicated delinquents. The National Coalition made several recommendations to improve the status of juvenile confinement in accordance with the JJDPA: appoint a qualified administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; increase funding for JJDPA implementation and the work of the National Coalition; establish a work plan and budget to support 1988 amendments to the JJDPA; focus on inappropriate confinement and overcrowded institutions and on improved court, probation, and classification procedures; support advocacy for juveniles held in unacceptable confinement conditions; and determine to what extent former status offenders are diverted to psychiatric hospitals and chemical dependency units in lieu of juvenile justice programs. 46 references and 6 exhibits