Use of Contracts in Juvenile Probation (From National Conference on Juvenile Justice - 8th, 1981 - See NCJ-76585)

• NCJ Number: 76594
• Author(s): D L Dobbert; A A Guarna
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 0 pages
• Sale Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. This is a selection on side five. The running time is 17 minutes.

Annotation

The use of contracts in juvenile probation is discussed at the 1981 National Conference on Juvenile Justice.

Abstract

An assistant director of juvenile court services in Calhoun County, Mich., explains that while probation order conditions clarify only what is not expected behavior, positive contingency contracts can be used to identify desired behavior during probation and to offer rewards such as early release from probation, to juveniles who comply with contract conditions. The preparation of such contracts involves the identification of the causes of a youth's delinquency and the relation of contract commitments to these. A president of the National Juvenile Court Services Association argues that probation itself constitutes a contract in which a judge says a youth is being given a second chance in society under certain conditions. These conditions are best adjusted to the individual offender's family situation, since the cooperation of the family is essential to a positive outcome of the probation term. Examples of such conditions are presented. A table of contents is included.