NCJ Number
89435
Date Published
1983
Length
52 pages
Annotation
This paper portrays the family lives of six East Tennessee children who have been involved in serious violent crime, and a limited view is provided of East Tennessee's problems with violent juvenile crime.
Abstract
Information for this report was developed primarily through interviews with court personnel, convicted juveniles and their family members, and others who work in the juvenile justice system in Tennessee. The families interviewed were all relatively poor; 4 of the 6 families had 8 to 10 children. All of the youths involved in violence were males between the ages of 14 and 18, and nine of the crimes were known to be drug-related. The families were evenly split between rural and urban areas. At one point in the children's early life, two of the families experienced separation because of parental neglect and the placing of the children in foster care for a number of years. Only one of the families is known to have a parent with a lengthy criminal record. Nine of the 10 children in that family have juvenile court records. The children in five of the six families had lost an older brother prematurely and violently; in four of the five cases, the families believe the death was not accidental. From January 1981 through July 1982, 91 juveniles were convicted of violent crimes in East Tennessee juvenile courts (murder, rape, serious assault, and armed robbery). Twenty-four additional juveniles were remanded to the adult court system during the same period, presumably for serious offenses. Brief consideration is given to 'get-tough' legislation, incarceration rates, a description of the juvenile facility housing violent offenders, and a treatment program for violent offenders. Tabular data are provided.