Any analysis of confidentiality laws begins with a discussion of the interests involved. Children and families involved in the juvenile justice system have important interests in keeping their records confidential, yet, at the same time, when youth under the care or custody of state or local agencies commit violent crimes, or are the victims of…

This issue of "Legislative Review" takes a look at the news in higher education from February 7 to 11, 2011. This Legislative Review reports that: (1) Carried over from February 2, House Education heard testimony on HB 1444 and HB 1445 February 7 and recommended "do not pass" on both bills February 8; (2) SB 2300, a bill to…

Rising juvenile crime rates during the 1970s and 1980s spurred state legislatures across the country to exclude or transfer a significant share of offenders under the age of eighteen to the jurisdiction of the criminal court, essentially redrawing the boundary between the juvenile and adult justice systems. Jeffrey Fagan examines the legal…

Elizabeth Scott and Laurence Steinberg explore the dramatic changes in the law's conception of young offenders between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. At the dawn of the juvenile court era, they note, most youths were tried and punished as if they were adults. Early juvenile court reformers argued strongly…

Describes the arguments of those supporting removal of the juvenile status offender from court jurisdiction, as well as the case presented by defenders of the system for retaining court jurisdiction over status offenders. (CM)

This staff brief discusses the juvenile justice system in five states which have enacted specific statutory provisions directed at the violent and chronic juvenile offender. Approaches adopted by California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Washington are described which include: (1) various ways of automatically waiving or transferring youths…

This document describes Minnesota statutes and cases that provide rights, responsibilities, and protections for young people different from those applicable to adults. It gives legislators an overview of all laws affecting young people, serving as a reference aid for current state policies toward youth. It is basically a state guide, including…

Reports on the Massachusetts Youth Service Board which administers the state's juvenile correctional system. (DS)

Provides information on the background and legal framework of the juvenile justice system, the issues that confront it, and the pressures for change, as well as noting some sources of information on the system. Available from American Association of Law Libraries, 53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 1201, Chicago, Illinois 60604; sc $4.00. (Author/IRT)

Examined records of 558 juveniles sheltered at short-term residential facility for five years to determine effect of Illinois' Minor Requiring Authoritative Intervention (MRAI) statute on status offenders. Results indicated that dispositions of clients MRAI legislation were not significantly different from earlier dispositions under old Minor in…

The Task Force to Develop Standards and Goals for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention was initiated in the Spring of 1975 by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) of the U.S. Department of Justice. The efforts of this task force resulted in nine reports, each one dealing with one aspect of the Juvenile Justice System. This…

The Task Force to Develop Standards and Goals for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention was initiated in the Spring of 1975 by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) of the U.S. Department of Justice. The efforts of this task force resulted in nine reports, each one dealing with one aspect of the Juvenile Justice System. This…

This guide explains Maine's juvenile justice system so that juveniles and/or their parents can know what to expect or what to do in a situation involving juveniles, public officials and the law. Although it is geographically specific, it could serve as a model to other states. The booklet can serve as a checklist to make sure law enforcement…

This document contains recommendations made by the Wisconsin Juvenile Justice Study Committee. Created by the Governor and the Wisconsin State Legislature to study the effectiveness of the Children's Code and related issues, the committee recommended changes that would significantly alter the way Wisconsin treats young lawbreakers. To the primary…

The author examines provisions of Section 8 of the Ontario legislature's "Training Schools Act," (now superseded) which provided criteria for the committal of unmanageable children into state institutions, and examines alternatives to commitment. (MJB)