Citizen Participation in Juvenile Courts - Citizen Advisory Councils

• NCJ Number: 77947
• Author(s): L M Kaichen
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 113 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Michigan Office of Criminal Justice; US Dept of Justice; Michigan Office of Criminal Justice
• Corporate Author: Children's Charter of the Courts of Michigan
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This manual is designed to assist community groups and juvenile courts in developing a citizen advisory council for county juvenile courts, based upon the experiences of these advisory councils in Michigan.

Abstract

At a Citizen Advisory Council Conference in Michigan, the following broad target areas were identified for activities by citizen advisory councils: education, problemsolving, and systems modification. Activities in the education area might include education of the public about the juvenile court's procedures, programs, and unmet needs. The problemsolving function might include the identification and solicitation of new funding sources in the face of diminishing fiscal resources for services to youth, and the systems modification function might include an evaluation of current court functions and programs with a view toward long-range planning. The manual describes the constituency and tasks of the initial planning group for a citizens advisory council, the development of a juvenile court citizen advisory council, and the organizing of a statewide conference on citizen advisory councils. Sample materials for a conference are provided. Appended are discussions on assessing community needs, forming a core group, public relations, and a review of a Michigan county's 1980 council activities. About 40 listings are provided in a bibliography on voluntary boards of directors.