NCJ Number
46556
Date Published
1978
Length
190 pages
Annotation
THE SYMPOSIUM MET IN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND ASSESS THE PRESENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SERIOUS YOUTH CRIME.
Abstract
THE THREE MAJOR TOPIC AREAS GIVEN ATTENTION AT THE SYMPOSIUM WERE: DEFINITIONAL AND INCIDENT ISSUES, ISSUES OF TREATMENT AND CONTROL, AND LEGAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH ATTEMPTS TO DEFINE 'THE SERIOUS OFFENDER' MADE DURING THE SYMPOSIUM VARIED, THE PARTICIPANTS TENDED TO PREFER LABELING BASED ON COMMUNITY VIOLATIONS RATHER THAN INSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR. CONFEREES AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM OF IDENTIFYING THE SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDER IS FAR FROM BEING SOLVED DUE TO IMPRECISE METHODS OF RECORDKEEPING PRESENTLY EMPLOYED BY MANY STATES AND LOCALITIES. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE RELATIVE SOCIAL CONTEXT, SUCH AS HEIGHTENED PUBLIC FEAR OF CRIME, WERE RECOGNIZED AS IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN DEALING WITH THE OVERALL PROBLEM OF THE SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDER. A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS INDICATED THAT DECISIONMAKING WITHIN THE FIELD HAS BEEN INFLUENCED MORE BY MYTHS AND BELIEFS THAN BY ACCURATE INFORMATION. FURTHER DIFFICULTIES ARISE BECAUSE AVAILABLE FACTS ARE INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY BY VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SUFFICIENT MATERIAL WAS PRESENTED TO SUGGEST THAT AN ERA OF EXPERIMENTATION WITH THE SERIOUS OFFENDER IS DEVELOPING AT A TIME WHEN THE OVERALL EXPERIMENTATION OF NEW CONCEPTS WITH THE 'RUN OF THE MILL' DELINQUENT IS DECLINING. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL A NEED FOR FURTHER PROGRAMMATIC EXPERIMENTATION. WITH SEVERAL STATES ALREADY MAKING SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, RESEARCH MONIES SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO INSURE THAT RESULTS ARE ACCURATELY REPORTED. A CHANGE IN THE ROLE PLAYED BY SECURITY WAS NOTED. IN THE PAST, SECURITY HAS BEEN PRIMARILY A MANAGEMENT TOOL TO AID 'TREATMENT'; NOW SEVERAL STATES ARE PLACING CERTAIN OFFENDERS IN SECURITY FOR PURELY PUNITIVE REASONS. THE SYMPOSIUM REACHED THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: (1) MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE INCIDENCE OF OFFENSES AND OFFENDERS IS NEEDED; (2) THERE IS A NEED FOR CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES 'THE SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDER'; (3) PREDICTION OF WHO WILL BE A SERIOUS VIOLENT OFFENDER IS LITTLE MORE THAN A GUESSING GAME; (4) RESEARCH ON ATTEMPTS TO DEAL WITH SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS SHOULD BE INCREASED; (5) EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM EFFORTS WITH THE SERIOUS OFFENDER SHOULD BE INCREASED; (6) THERE IS A NEED TO DISSEMINATE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE; AND (7) THERE IS A DEVELOPING PHILOSOPHY OF 'JUST DESERT' FOR THIS GROUP. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)