NCJ Number
131299
Journal
New Designs for Youth Development Volume: 9 Issue: 1-3 Dated: (Winter, Spring, Summer 1989) Pages: 3-8
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Recent research indicates that juvenile courts are gradually evolving from being informal, offender-oriented institutions to being formal and offense-oriented. The juvenile justice system is caught between its traditional social welfare concerns and public demands to hold juvenile offenders more accountable.
Abstract
The original intention of juvenile courts, which began in Chicago in 1899, was to treat and rehabilitate juvenile offenders. In the 1950's and 1960's, critics argued that juvenile courts should be held to the same procedural standards as criminal courts. Recent reform proposals have stressed the need for juvenile courts to hold juveniles responsible for their delinquent acts; the proposals would limit the courts' discretion, expand criminal due process, and employ offense criteria to set dispositions. State legislation passed in the area of juvenile justice has formalized court procedures and narrowed the jurisdiction of juvenile courts by limiting their power over status offenders and making it easier to transfer serious offenders to adult criminal courts. A survey of professionals in the fields of juvenile justice and youth services revealed that most were dissatisfied with current strategies and viewed State legislative efforts quite negatively. Legislators contemplating juvenile justice reform need to consider four areas: philosophy on punishment and treatment, restitution, intake, and sentencing. 3 tables and 13 references