Describes a juvenile court related program which attempted to effect change in pretrial detention practices by offering a family-oriented alternative. Characteristics distinguishing repeating offenders in the program from nonrepeating offenders are discussed. (Author/NRB)

An address given July 12, 1971 to the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges. (Author)

Summarizes the general law applicable to children, beginning with a statement of the underlying concept which culminated in separate court systems for juveniles in the United States. Encourages solicitation of judicial and professional enlightenment to appraise minors, parents, teachers, and administrators of their legal rights and obligations.…

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…

In this study, the authors present the findings of an evaluation of North Carolina's juvenile structured day programs (JSDP), a type of alternative learning program for suspended or expelled court-involved juveniles. A 36-item questionnaire was mailed to each of North Carolina's 41 juvenile structured day programs. The authors surveyed issues…

This document presents a hearing on the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, H.R. 1801. Opening statements are given by Representatives Dale E. Kildee and Thomas J. Tauke. The hearing was held in Iowa and all witnesses giving statements are from Iowa. Witnesses include: (1) Alan Allbee, juvenile court referee,…

This paper calls for a coordinated effort of the public, the juvenile court system, and the schools to alleviate juvenile problems in the 1980s. The following needs are discussed and deemed necessary to this common effort: to identify the problem child at the earliest possible stage; to develop new approaches to the challenge of the child advocate…

The reports included in this publication (volume seven in a series of nine) reflect a variety of views on and approaches to major questions in the juvenile justice field. It contains chapters on court rules, pre-trial detention, conditions of release, plea bargaining, rules of evidence, etc. In addition, there is a section concerning special…

Reviews the evolution and organization of the Scottish juvenile justice system. Focuses on the question of whether its dual structure of hearings and court qualifies as a diversionary system. Argues that, in principle if not in practice, the present system is more truly diversionary than previous systems. (KH)

One approach to handling juvenile offenders is the diversion of youth away from formal contact with the juvenile justice system. A diversion program implemented in Adams County, Colorado, is described here. Objectives were to reduce court caseloads, lower recidivism rates, lessen the net of social control, and permit rigorous evaluation. (GC)

This article describes the use of youth courts, or teen courts, a growing trend in juvenile justice. Youth courts are generally used for younger teens with no prior arrest records, and those charged with less serious violations, like shoplifting, vandalism, and disorderly conduct. The goal is to hold young people accountable for their actions with…

Our system of justice does not equitably handle the problems connected with a retarded juvenile accused of a crime. (DM)

Notes that fear of apprehension and punishment have been reported to suppress juvenile crime. Discusses suppression effect in regard to the correlates of chronic juvenile delinquency and exploratory evidence that youth who commit large volume of crime do not fear sanctions imposed by juvenile court any more than youth who commit only one offense…

Objective: To investigate relationships among family risk factors, childhood firesetting and animal cruelty, and adolescent delinquency. Method: In 1990, mothers and children participating in a 10-year prospective study provided information about family risk factors and childhood problem behavior. Subsequent interviews with 86% of the sample in…

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of type of counsel across race on juvenile court outcomes. Using data from a sample of juvenile court referrals from two midwestern juvenile courts, this study examined the interaction of race and type of counsel on disposition outcome. The results indicated that youth without an attorney…