NCJ Number
60909
Date Published
1974
Length
565 pages
Annotation
AS PART OF A LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED CORRECTIONAL MASTER PLAN FOR HAWAII, EXISTING CORRECTIONAL SERVICE FOR YOUTH ARE EXAMINED AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE OFFERED.
Abstract
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM--POLICE, COURTS, CORRECTIONS, AND PRIVATE AGENCIES--WORKED COOPERATIVELY TO FORMULATE THE UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHY OF THE PROPOSED PLAN, USING THE BASIC ASSUMPTION THAT EFFECTIVE PREVENTION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY HAS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. A STRATEGY WAS PROPOSED FOR SHIFTING ATTENTION AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES FROM THE LATER PHASES OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE PROCESS TO THE EARLIER STAGES OF INVOLVEMENT, WITH THE GOAL OF OBTAINING THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE RELEASE OF JUVENILES FROM THE SYSTEM. FURTHER, THE STUDY CALLS FOR A BASIC SHIFT OF FOCUS FROM THE FORMAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO SOCIAL SERVICE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY WHICH ARE GEARED TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF YOUTH. STATISTICS SHOW A GROWING TREND IN HAWAII TOWARD MINIMUM USE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION FOR YOUTH AND AN INCREASING USE OF IN-COMMUNITY RESOURCES, A TREND FULLY ENDORSED BY THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. PROPOSALS ARE OFFERED FOR COORDINATING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUTH MORE EFFECTIVELY. STATUTORY CHANGES ARE PROPOSED TO PRODUCE A MORE CONSISTENT ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, DEFINING AND PROTECTING EQUITABLY THE RIGHTS OF JUVENILES ON THE ONE HAND AND THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY ON THE OTHER. THE APPENDIXES PROVIDE A STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, A SAMPLE JUVENILE PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE, COMMUNITY PROFILES, JUVENILE POPULATION TABLES, SELECTED STATISTICS FROM THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, THE GOALS AND ROLE OF THE FAMILY COURT, A LIST OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES, INTAKE ALTERNATIVES, AND A SURVEY OF FAMILY COURT PROGRAM NEEDS. (RCB)