NCJ Number
169520
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 59 Issue: 7 Dated: (December 1997) Pages: 94,96,98,114
Date Published
1997
Length
4 pages
Annotation
During the 1997 legislative session, the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice introduced a proposal, subsequently enacted into law, that revised the Juvenile Causes Act to reflect the State's emphasis on balanced, restorative, and victim-centered justice; this article describes some of the efforts mounted to implement these restorative justice principles.
Abstract
Under the new legislation, the juvenile justice system is compelled to balance its resources, time, and attention among offenders, victims, and communities. Having built consensus on juvenile justice reform goals, the Department of Juvenile Justice has worked to reallocate resources to maintain residential programs for serious, chronic, and violent juvenile offenders while continuing to expand delinquency prevention and early intervention services, as well as initiating new programs for intermediate-range juvenile offenders. With virtually all new programs and service enhancements designed to reflect restorative justice principles, budget priorities are set by these principles. In the areas of probation and aftercare, programs have targeted serious, violent juvenile offenders; created partnerships with businesses, churches, and community organizations to provide youth with job training and employment; placed probation specialists in local schools for enhanced monitoring of probationers' school performance; and recruited college students and community members as paid interns to assist with probationary supervision. Intermediate sanctions include day treatment programs, short residential placements, military-style training combined with a leadership curriculum and traditional rehabilitation programs, and electronic monitoring. Prevention and intervention programs include truancy intervention, after- school education training, outdoor wilderness learning experiences, and diversion programs. Expanded recidivism research has documented recidivism-rate reduction and cost-effectiveness improvements in recent years. Subsequent research will compare the same residential programs with day treatment and other community-based alternatives.