NCJ Number
15887
Date Published
Unknown
Length
92 pages
Annotation
DEVELOPS A TYPOLOGY OF CAREER TRAJECTORIES TO SHOW THE DIFFERENT ROUTING PATTERNS AND IDENTIFIES THE CRITERIA WHICH ARE USED AT CRITICAL DECISION POINTS IN THE SYSTEM AND WHICH DETERMINE THE CAREER TRAJECTORY TYPES.
Abstract
THE RESEARCH DESIGN CALLED FOR A TWO-STAGE SAMPLING PROCESS WHICH WOULD PRODUCE A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE OF 200 CASES OF YOUTH WHO HAD HAD SOME CONTACT WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH THE JUVENILES, PARENTS, AND STAFF MEMBERS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND/OR OF SOCIAL AGENCIES WHO HAD WORKED WITH THE YOUNGSTER. FOUR CAREER TRAJECTORIES WERE IDENTIFIED AS RECURRING PATTERNS IN THE DATA ON THE MOST FREQUENT OFFENDERS. THE SLOW FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED AS A YOUNGSTER WHO ENTERS THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AT AN EARLY AGE AND CONTINUES TO COMMIT OFFENSES WHICH RESULT IN A GRADUAL DEEPENING OF HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE SYSTEM UNTIL HE REACHES THE TRAINING SCHOOL. THE FAST FAILURE BEGINS HIS OFFICIAL DELINQUENCY CAREER LATER, ACCUMULATES A SOMEWHAT LESS SERIOUS OFFENSE HISTORY, BUT WHO HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY OUT OF TROUBLE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. THE POTENTIAL SUCCESS IS AN OLDER JUVENILE WHO HAS NOT HAD YOUTH BUREAU CONTACT FOR A YEAR. FOUR DECISION POINTS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM - THE YOUTH BUREAU, THE INTAKE OFFICE, THE PROBATION OFFICE, AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES - WERE STUDIED TO LEARN WHAT CRITERIA WERE USED IN DETERMINING THE DISPOSITION OF DELINQUENT YOUNGSTERS COMING TO THEIR ATTENTION. THE REPORT GENERALLY OUTLINES THE OPTIONS PRESENT AT EACH POINT, THE GENERAL GUIDELINES DESCRIBED AS BEING IN USE, AND THE QUANTITATIVE DATA DERIVED FROM THOSE CASE HISTORIES PROCESSED THROUGH THESE POINTS. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS IS GIVEN IN APPENDIX A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE CASES INCLUDED IN THE SAMPLE AND FURTHER DESCRIPTIVE DATA GATHERED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CAREER INFORMATION ARE PRESENTED IN APPENDIXES B AND C.