NCJ Number
170141
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 59 Issue: 3 Dated: (June 1997) Pages: 121-123
Date Published
1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Research conducted by the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) and funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention indicates that many State juvenile justice systems have shifted their emphasis to holding juveniles accountable for the seriousness of their offenses.
Abstract
Some States appear to have incorporated this position into a reasoned approach that includes protecting the community and enhancing the offender's ability to function as a law-abiding, contributing member of society. Many other States have focused solely on punishment. In most cases, States are incarcerating more juvenile offenders for longer periods of time and redefining more of them as adults. The NCJJ report is titled "State Responses to Serious and Violent Juvenile Crime." The analysis of legislation and the survey of juvenile justice practitioners revealed five themes: jurisdictional authority, sentencing, correctional programming, confidentiality of records and hearings, and victim involvement. A major trend involves the removal of more serious and violent juvenile offenders from the juvenile justice system in favor of criminal court prosecution. Most juvenile justice practitioners concede that some juvenile offenders should be handled as adults due to their conduct, but widespread concern exists regarding the consequences of handling significant numbers of juvenile offenders as adults. Other trends include experimentation with new dispositional options, pressure to develop correctional programs as a result of new transfer and sentencing laws, more open proceedings and records, and inclusion of victims of juvenile crimes as active participants in the juvenile justice process. Major shifts have also occurred in correctional programming due to the increased emphasis on protecting the public and holding offenders accountable. In addition, several States have reorganized their juvenile correctional services. Figures