Statement of Charles A Lauer, Acting Director, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, US Department of Justice Accompanied by Douglas Dodge, Program Manager, Violent Offenders Program, James C Howell, National Advisory Committee Coordination on July 9, 1981 Concerning Violent Juvenil

• NCJ Number: 82241
• Author(s): C A Lauer; D Dodge; J C Howell
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 30 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Legislative/Regulatory Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Available on microfiche from NCJRS as NCJ-82241

Annotation

This testimony by the acting Director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention covers the extent and nature of violent juvenile crime, the characteristics of the violent juvenile offender, and the effectiveness of restitution programs with juvenile offenders.

Abstract

Forty-four percent of violent crime offenders are 20 years-old and under; juveniles (18 years-old and under) compose 20 percent of violent offenders. About 5 to 15 percent of the juvenile violent offenders are chronic offenders who commit from 65 to 80 percent of the violent offenses. A juvenile does not specialize in one kind of violent offense, but there are patterns of seriousness. The juvenile who typically commits serious crimes will commit other serious crimes, and the same holds true for juveniles involved in less serious offenses. The violent juvenile offender is typically a male from an ethnic minority who has school problems, unstable family life, and economic and employment problems. He is often a young gang member and abuses drugs and alcohol. Efforts to prevent youth from dropping out of school are crucial in preventing delinquency. Such efforts include alternative education programs which involve the family, community, and local businesses, as well as teachers and education administrators in providing the student with courses and activities tailored to individual interests. Restitution programs have also been introduced as an alternative for juvenile dispositions. Evaluation shows restitution programs to be more effective than either probation or incarceration in reducing recidivism among juveniles.