NCJ Number
46443
Date Published
1975
Length
114 pages
Annotation
THIS ANALYSIS CONCENTRATES ON ISSUES, RESEARCH TASKS, AND PROGRAM IDEAS TO REDUCE YOUTH CRIME WHICH MERIT FEDERAL SUPPORT.
Abstract
THE GOAL OF DELINQUENCY PREVENTION LACKS PRECISION, FAILS TO HELP IN CHOOSING JUVENILE CRIMES FOR PRIORITY PREVENTION EFFORTS, APPEARS TO PLACE ALL EMPHASIS SOLELY ON TREATMENT, AND CONFUSES THE CONCEPTS OF CRIME PREVENTION AND YOUTH PROTECTION. TWO FEDERAL GOALS PROPOSED TO ELIMINATE THE VAGUE NATURE OF DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ARE: REDUCING THE SOCIAL LOSS THAT RESULTS FROM YOUTH CRIME; AND MINIMIZING THE HARMFUL IMPACT OF INTERVENTION EFFORTS ON YOUNG OFFENDERS, BY REDESIGNING THE CONTENT OF INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND BY ELIMINATING THEIR INTRUSION INTO THE LIVES OF JUVENILES WHO DO NOT NEED CORRECTIONAL INTERVENTION. DOMINANT FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DEALING WITH YOUTH CRIMES ARE AGE IN THE EARLY TEENS, SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME IN THE MIDDLE TEENS, AND A COMBINATION OF BOTH IN THE YEARS AFTER. THIS IS THE POLICY PROPOSED FOR THE AREA BETWEEN YOUTH CRIMES AND ADULT CRIMES. TWO GENERAL OBSERVATIONS MADE ABOUT STUDIES OF JUVENILE CRIMES ARE: (1) THE LIST OF TOPICS AND METHODS ARE NOT ORIGINAL; AND (2) FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THIS FACT HAS DRASTICALLY LIMITED THE CONTRIBUTION OF FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH IN CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THE PAPER CONCLUDES THAT DIVERSION WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM POSED BY CRIMINAL YOUTHS BUT WILL ONLY CHANGE THE PROBLEM. CHARTS AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED ALONG WITH APPENDIXES CONCERNING ARREST RATES, POPULATION PROJECTIONS, DISPOSITION OF YOUNG OFFENDERS IN CRIMINAL COURTS, AND A STATISTICAL NOTE ON AUTO THEFT. (AJJ)