NCJ Number
186150
Journal
Pennsylvania Progress Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: October 1997 Pages: 1-6
Date Published
October 1997
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes Pennsylvania's progress in implementing the Balanced and Restorative Justice philosophy statewide and across the full spectrum of juvenile justice system interventions and the victims and communities affected by juvenile crime.
Abstract
The article describes the task of system transformation necessitated by recent legislation that incorporated the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) philosophy into the mission statement of Pennsylvania's Juvenile Act. The balanced approach consolidates community protection, accountability, competency development, and individualized assessment into the core elements of effective juvenile court and probation practices. Schools, the police, community service providers, local employers, churches, and other public and private service providers must all be included as partners in the juvenile justice process under BARJ. Restorative justice gives priority to repairing the harm done to victims and communities with offender accountability defined in terms of assuming responsibility and taking action to repair that harm. The balanced approach mandates contained in Pennsylvania's Juvenile Act provided the framework for restorative justice within the Commonwealth's juvenile justice system. References