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Blended Sentences for Juveniles Gain Popularity

NCJ Number
172438
Journal
Corrections Alert Volume: 4 Issue: 23 Dated: (March 9, 1998) Pages: 1-3
Editor(s)
L Zaner
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses attempts to find "middle ground" for youthful offenders charged as adults.
Abstract
Approximately 16 States have legislated some form of blended sentencing provisions as an alternative in dealing with violent juveniles. Blended sentences allow certain juvenile offenders to receive both juvenile and adult sentences. In some cases, the blended sentence may offer the offender the opportunity to avoid the adult sentence if he or she complies completely with the juvenile sentence, which is served first. The five basic models of blended sentencing are: (1) Juvenile-Exclusive -- juvenile court imposes a sanction involving either the juvenile or the adult correctional system; (2) Juvenile-Inclusive -- juvenile court simultaneously imposes both a juvenile and an adult correctional sanction, which is suspended if there is no violation or revocation; (3) Juvenile-Contiguous -- juvenile court imposes a juvenile correctional sanction that may remain in force beyond the age of its extended jurisdiction, when procedures are invoked to transfer the case to the adult correctional system; (4) Criminal-Exclusive -- criminal court imposes either a juvenile or adult correctional sanction; and (5) Criminal-Inclusive -- criminal court imposes both a juvenile and an adult correctional sanction and suspends the adult sentence if there is no violation or re-offense.