NCJ Number
173697
Journal
Pennsylvania Progress Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: June 1996 Pages: -
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews Pennsylvania's efforts to separate juveniles from adults in detention and correctional facilities.
Abstract
In 1975 the Director of Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice Office made some key decisions that allowed Pennsylvania to meet and surpass Federal requirements for the separation of juveniles from adult offenders. These decisions included the appointment of the State Juvenile Advisory Committee as the chief mechanism for achieving compliance, and the decision to focus on the complete removal of juveniles from jails and police lockups versus reconstruction efforts to meet the Federal sight and sound mandates for maintaining juveniles in the same facilities as adults. In 1976 the Juvenile Advisory Committee released the State's formal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Plan, which encompasses a four-part strategy of legislation, administrative enforcement, program funding, and education and technical assistance. Each of these strategy components is discussed in this paper. Implementation activities are also described, along with the institutionalization of change through the Compliance Monitory Advisory Committee. Results continue to be positive, as a 1996 Federal audit found Pennsylvania in compliance with the mandates of the Federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.