NCJ Number
34138
Journal
JOURNAL OF VOLUNTEERS WITH DELINQUENTS Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (SPRING 1972) Pages: 33-66
Date Published
1972
Length
34 pages
Annotation
BASED ON A SURVEY OF SOCIAL CONTROL AND SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES AND INTERVIEWS WITH A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COURT STAFF, THIS PAPER PRESENTS AN AGENCY-BY-AGENCY REVIEW OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COURT AND THESE AGENCIES.
Abstract
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES, JUVENILE COURTS, AND SOCIAL CONTROL AGENCIES HAVE OFTEN BEEN FOUND TO BE POOR AT BEST. THE AUTHOR MAINTAINS THAT AN ANALYSIS OF COURT-AGENCY RELATIONS HAS IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STUDY OF DEVIANCE, SINCE THESE AGENCIES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN DEFINING AND DEALING WITH DEVIANCE. FOR EACH AGENCY, THE AUTHOR DEFINES POINTS OF PROCEDURAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AGENCY AND THE COURT, AND EVALUATES THE GENERAL CLIMATE OF THE RELATIONS. COURT RELATIONS WITH SOCIAL CONTROL AGENCIES SUCH AS LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE FIRST EXAMINED. IT WAS FOUND THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES GENERALLY VIEWED THE COURT'S NEW COMMUNITY-BASED AND TREATMENT ORIENTATION TO BE TOO LENIENT, AND FELT IT ADVERSELY AFFECTED THEIR OPERATIONS. RELATIONS WITH THE MEDIA SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COURTS NEW IDEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE WERE FOUND TO HAVE BECOME MORE STRAINED AND MORE FORMALIZED. THE AUTHOR THEN EXAMINES THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE COURT TO SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES SUCH AS SCHOOLS, WELFARE, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND EXPLORES THEIR REACTIONS TO THE SOCIAL ORIENTATION OF THE JUVENILE COURT. ONCE AGAIN RELATIONS WERE SOMEWHAT STRAINED; PROBLEMS OF PROFESSIONAL JEALOUSY AND QUESTIONS OF JURISDICTION AND RESPONSIBILITY WERE THE PRIMARY CAUSES.