The juvenile justice system is complicated and can seem overwhelming. This handbook is designed to give some basic information to youths as well as parents, grandparents, foster parents, guardians, and other family members or friends of children who have been or may be in trouble with the law. This handbook is written to defendants in juvenile…

This document is an instructional guide for use by local Boys Clubs of America in promoting delinquency prevention and in designing programs to address the problem of the inappropriate detention of juveniles. The problem of inappropriate youth detention and the need for Boys Clubs to provide alternatives to detention are discussed in the…

This handbook is an attempt to summarize the most important aspects of juvenile law for a new practitioner, and to offer some additional ideas and strategies to any juvenile defense attorney. The goal is to help improve representation of juveniles across the state of Texas. References to useful books, cases, and statutes are included. The handbook…

This booklet provides a brief introduction to the juvenile justice system, in lay person's terms, for parents of juveniles in trouble and other nonprofessionals, such as merchants, teachers, and the general public. The booklet begins with some basic information about juvenile crime and the juvenile justice system, followed by answers to some…

The purpose of this guidebook is to give Minnesota legislators an overview of all laws affecting young people in order to have a reference aid on current state policies toward youth. State statutes and cases that provide rights, responsibilities, and protections for young people under age 18 are described. Part 1 of this guide, "The…

The volunteer shelter bed program development guidelines in this booklet are offered as a community-based alternative to the institutionalization of status offenders. The volunteer shelter bed program is described as a nonsecure residential alternative for status offenders, which can be implemented without the creation of new facilities or the…

This resource guide describes one state's statutes and cases so as to profile those rights, responsibilities, and protections for young people which are different from those applicable to adults. The purpose of this guidebook is to give legislators an overview of all laws affecting young people in order to have a reference aid on current state…

Research indicates that many youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system may have mental health and substance use related disorders. Problems related to these conditions play a continuing role in delinquency and pose risks to the welfare of youth, juvenile justice staff, and others. Identifying troubled youth is the first step in…

Growing evidence indicates that teen courts give a community's children and adults a practical response to the problems associated with delinquency, traffic safety, and substance abuse. Developing and implementing teen courts requires a collaborative effort and juvenile justice agencies need baseline information that will aid them in creating teen…

Presents the concept of advocacy in the trenches, wherein residential care staff intercede with and for dysfunctional families, dysfunctional children, and the bureaucracy. This advocacy emphasizes individualized treatment and case-by-case networking, focusing not on broad causes but on what is in the best interest of each child. (ET)

The training manual of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is intended for personnel involved with Youth Service Bureaus and other diversion projects which provide direct services to delinquent or predelinquent youths with the hope of preventing initial or further involvement with the juvenile justice system. Section…

Schools have expressed a need to know the identity and/or circumstances of young offenders in order to address school safety and security issues, and to provide a collaborative and coordinated case management approach for the rehabilitation of the young person. A framework for the exchange of information between youth justice and school officials…

This booklet discusses the confinement of juveniles in adult jails, and offers suggestions for local citizens who want to remedy the problem. The first section presents background information on juveniles in adult jails, and discusses the following issues: the physically and psychologically damaging effects on juveniles of incarceration in adult…

The School Safety Committee is concerned with the obligations of schools to educate all children in an environment of moral responsibility and physical safety that will enable each child to realize the promise of America, that is, human rights, dignity, equality, and justice. The problem of school safety will be aggravated by the nation's economic…

Youth courts are among the fastest-growing crime intervention in the nation. Youth courts divert minor offenders from overloaded juvenile courts and hold them responsible for their actions. They educate young people about the impact their actions have on others, teach about the legal system, and provide opportunities and a forum to develop and…