NCJ Number
92385
Date Published
1983
Length
183 pages
Annotation
Intended for California policymakers responsible for the continuing development of the State's juvenile justice system, this study analyzes the extent of serious juvenile crime, how the system deals with it, and how its response could be improved in the future.
Abstract
The study involved interviews with system practitioners, observation of current programs, analyses of arrest and case disposition data, and reviews of the juvenile justice and treatment literature. One of the principal conclusions is that the process of experimentation, evaluation, and reform in juvenile justice practices should be a continuing effort, because current knowledge about how to change the behavior of delinquent youths, or what the impacts are of various disposition practices on different types of youth, is too limited to predict the effects of reforms. Specific recommendations are that the legislature establish a continuing Juvenile Justice Commission and recognize punishment (along with treatment and incapacitation) as an appropriate justice system objective to be incorporated into prescriptive sentencing guidelines. The Commission should also develop systematic procedures to measure the cost and effectiveness of treatment programs and consider changes in treatment program funding to encourage innovation and competition. In general, the juvenile justice system should concern itself more with greater public protection from serious juvenile offenders while retaining the aim of salvaging delinquent minors. Footnotes, charts, and tabular data are provided. Additional study material is appended. The reference list contains approximately 60 entries. (Author summary modified)