NCJ Number
213898
Date Published
2005
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This white paper addresses the notion of competency development within Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system, explaining why it is important for juveniles and how it should be accomplished.
Abstract
Competency development is the process through which juvenile offenders acquire the knowledge and skills to become productive and law abiding members of society. Research indicates that the five core competency domains that increase a juvenile’s chances for success in school, work, and life are prosocial skills, moral reasoning skills, academic skills, workforce skills, and independent living skills. The paper discusses each of these competency domains in turn and illustrates how each domain can be consolidated into one comprehensive curriculum. Skill training is the primary activity used to enhance competency development; trainer techniques for skill training are enumerated and the importance of a qualified teaching staff is underscored. While the importance of skill training has been clearly demonstrated, research has also indicated that relationships are the key to adolescent well-being. As such, any competency development program must incorporate opportunities for prosocial bonding and relationship building. The balanced approach model to juvenile justice and restorative justice principles are briefly addressed and the paper makes note of the fact that while the juvenile justice system has a responsibility to develop the competency of the youth within its care, its responsibility is limited by a number of factors including time. The new roles and responsibilities of the juvenile justice system and its participants from a competency development perspective are discussed and the most effective means of measuring competency development is illustrated. Future work for Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system involves the development of protocols of juvenile offender needs assessments. Endnotes