ON THE SO-CALLED SYNTHESIS REPORT - ITALY

• NCJ Number: 64567
• Journal: RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 8 Issue: 1 AND 2 Dated: (1977) Pages: 231-241
• Author(s): U FORNARI
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Rassegna di Criminologia
• Publication Format: Article
• Country: Italy

Annotation

ITALIAN JUVENILE COURT JUDGES ARE CURRENTLY USING SO-CALLED SYNTHESIS REPORTS, OR COMPOSITE PROFILES, OF YOUNG OFFENDERS AWAITING TRIAL TO ASSIST THEM IN DETERMINING THE DEFENDANTS' CULPABILITY.

Abstract

THE MEMBERS OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL EXPERT TEAMS, IDEALLY COMPRISING A PSYCHOLOGIST, A PSYCHIATRIST, AN EDUCATOR, AND A SOCIAL WORKER, ARE SUPPOSED TO OBSERVE THE BEHAVIOR OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS UNDER PRETRIAL DETENTION, GIVE THEM PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATIONS, AND GLEAN THEIR PERSONAL AND FAMILY HISTORIES THROUGH INDEPTH PERSONAL INTERVIEWS. THEY ARE THEN SUPPOSED TO CONTRIBUTE ALL THE DATA THUS COLLECTED TO INDIVIDUAL DOSSIERS, ALSO REFERRED TO AS SYNTHESIS REPORTS OR COMPOSITE PERSONALITY PROFILES. THESE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS ARE REQUIRED BY JUVENILE COURT JUDGES TO ASSIST THEM IN PASSING EQUITABLE SENTENCES ON THE DEFENDANTS. HOWEVER, A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE USE FOR SUCH PERSONALITY PROFILES, IN AN EXPANDED AND MORE COMPLETE FORMAT THAN THE CURRENT ONES, WOULD BE AS A TOOL FOR THE FORMUATION OF INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT PLANS FOR THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS, ALSO TO ENABLE THE OFFENDERS TO RECOGNIZE THEIR BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS AND COOPERATE IN MAKING THEIR TREATMENT A SUCCESS. IDEALLY, THE REPORTS IN QUESTION SHOULD INCLUDE, IN ADDITION TO THE FINDINGS OF THE PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION (THE LATTER COMPLETE WITH INTELLIGENCE TESTS), THE RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH EDUCATORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS, AS WELL AS TRANSCRIPTS OF CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CORRECTIONAL TEAM MEMBERS AND THE SUBJECTS' PARENTS, TEACHERS, EMPLOYERS, AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT ADULT FIGURES WHO MIGHT HAVE INFLUENCED THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND BE PART OF THE PROBLEMS. THE SYNTHESIS REPORTS, NOW USED CHIEFLY AS LABELING, AND THEREFORE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, INSTRUMENTS, COULD BECOME THE MOST IMPORTANT THERAPEUTIC TOOLS IN EFFECTING THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS' REHABILITATION AND SOCIAL REINTEGRATION. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)