NCJ Number
75511
Date Published
1974
Length
60 pages
Annotation
The juvenile justice systems of six counties in mid-Alabama are studied to provide information to the Alabama Law Enforcement Planning Agency (ALEPA) for use in improving their delivery of justice to juveniles.
Abstract
The counties studied (Blount, Chilton, St. Clair, Shelby, Walker, and Winston) are primarily rural, with some large cities and towns in need of attention to urban problems. Data on the extent of juvenile delinquency, existing programs and services, and available resources were obtained directly by interview from the law enforcement agencies, courts, schools, welfare agencies, and mental health and vocational rehabilitation agencies. In each county, there is one judge who hears all juvenile cases; only two of the counties have probation officers. For each county, the demography and the educational system are discussed and related to the law enforcement system, juvenile court and probation, and community resources. Nine specific recommendations address the role of support agencies, the need for record-keeping systems, the employment of probation officers and other additional personnel, and the adoption of the ALEPA corrections master plan. Two appendixes include the pamphlet 'Youth and the Law' and forms used in the county juvenile justice systems.