NCJ Number
186183
Date Published
1999
Length
72 pages
Annotation
This guide, prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is intended to help judges and prosecutors more effectively sanction juveniles and young people for alcohol-related offenses, work more cooperatively with administrative agencies and community organizations, and define a role for themselves outside the courtroom in preventing underage drinking and other alcohol-related offenses.
Abstract
Following an introductory chapter that defines terms used in the guide, the second chapter presents information on the prevalence of underage drinking and the extent of drinking and driving by young people and explores underage access to alcohol. The third chapter outlines the laws pertaining to underage drinking and impaired driving that judges and prosecutors uphold. The fourth chapter considers issues related to law enforcement, the apprehension of young people for underage alcohol offenses, and the processing of young people in the court system. The fifth chapter describes sanctions for young offenders that protect the public, hold the offender accountable to the victim and/or the community, and provide education or treatment services. Subsequent chapters address the importance of monitoring compliance with sanctions; issues associated with recording, sharing, and using information on underage alcohol offenses and offenders; administrative and community responses to underage drinking and the role of judges and prosecutors in preventing and responding to underage alcohol offenses; and the relationship between administrative and judicial sanctions for alcohol-related offenses. A final chapter presents recommendations for policies and further research to increase the effectiveness of dispositions for alcohol-related offenses among young people. Policy recommendations cover case processing, sentences, screening and assessment, treatment, diversion, information sharing, monitoring and enforcement, and judge and prosecutor roles in prevention. Research recommendations focus on program evaluation and comparative analysis of sanctions and outcomes. References, tables, and figures