NCJ Number
155309
Date Published
1995
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Task Force, which was established to study juvenile issues in order to develop and recommend appropriate modifications in the purpose and structure of the juvenile justice system through juvenile codes and administrative policies.
Abstract
The enabling legislation specifically requested the task force to study and develop polices on jurisdiction, placement, intake and assessment processes, dispositional alternatives, financing strategies, the availability of mental health services and work processes, caseloads of social workers and court services officers, and the implications of a youth authority. Regarding jurisdiction, the recommendations place exclusive dispositional authority in the hands of the juvenile court, so the court can control the number, type, and duration of community placement and terms of commitment to State confinement. Regarding intake and assessment processes, the recommendations include the development of standardized formats for an initial intake face sheet, which will become a permanent part of a juvenile's file, and for the predispositional investigation report. In the area of placement, the task force identified the two major placement options for juvenile offenders: State confinement facilities and community-based programs and placements. The community-based option is the system's foundation and includes a substantial treatment component. The task force recommendations also establish a set of presumptive placement criteria and a range of presumptive indeterminate lengths of stay by offense category. The report concludes that the dispositional alternatives currently available throughout the State are inadequate and must be expanded so that judges have appropriate dispositional options. With respect to work processes and caseloads of social workers and court services officers, the task force recommendations call for the use of a standardized risk-assessment tool and the adoption of uniform standards of supervision through which staffing needs and levels can be determined. Regarding financing strategies and the implications of a youth authority, the task force recommends that scarce resources be used for services to youth rather than the creation of a new agency. Appended tabular data and supplementary information