NCJ Number
30665
Date Published
1975
Length
328 pages
Annotation
CRITICAL STUDY OF THE JUVENILE COURT ADJUDICATIONS MADE REGARDING 134 JUVENILES AND THEIR APPROPRIATENESS WITH RESPECT TO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WOULD BECOME A DANGER TO SOCIETY, WITH 14 CASE STUDIES.
Abstract
THE STUDY SHOWS, THE AUTHORS SAY, THAT JUVENILE COURT JUDGES TEND TO EMPLOY THE MILDEST CORRECTIVE MEASURE IN THEIR POWER THE FIRST TIME A JUVENILE APPEARS IN COURT, USUALLY AT THE AGE OF 14 OR 15. SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES ARE MET WITH STIFFER AND STIFFER MEASURES SHORT OF INCARCERATION. FINALLY, THE INDIVIDUAL IS SENT TO A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, USUALLY AT 18 OR OVER, IF IT APPEARS THAT HE HAS BECOME A HABITUAL OFFENDER. INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THIS PROCESS, THE POTENTIAL THREATS TO SOCIETY SHOULD BE DISCOVERED EARLY AND THE PROPER THERAPY SHOULD BE APPLIED WHILE THEY ARE STILL YOUNG ENOUGH FOR IT TO HAVE A CHNACE OF BENEFITTING THEM. THE AUTHORS CONTEND THAT IT IS NOT THE JUVENILE COURTS' FAULT THAT THIS IS NOT DONE SINCE IN MOST CASES THEY DO NOT HAVE THE FACILITIES FOR MAKING SUCH A DIAGNOSIS. THE 14 JUVENILES WHOSE CASES ARE STUDIED WERE SUBJECTED TO ROHRSCHACH, HAMBURG-WECHSLER, PAULI AND BENTON TESTING. --IN GERMAN