NCJ Number
114392
Date Published
1988
Length
37 pages
Annotation
In 1983, alternative sanctions were established resulting in a more educative juvenile justice system in the Netherlands.
Abstract
Alternative sanctions focused on providing training and/or educational activities (including outward bound-type programs) designed to improve juveniles' social and practical skills. Such sanctions were imposed in cases where criminal procedures would otherwise have been imposed, specific type of the sanction was proposed by the offender, and sanctions could require from 4 to 150 hours for completion. Alternatives were imposed either by prosecutors or judges. An examination of 432 alternative sanctions imposed over 15 months showed that the average sanction imposed was 51.1 hours, with a range of 6 to 152 hours. Of sanctions, 95 percent were work projects: 65 percent involved maintenance, repair, and painting; and about 20 percent involved kitchen and domestic work. Only 5 percent involved training projects requiring taking some sort of a course and performing a job. Most of these were social skills training programs. Of all work projects, 98 percent were completed. While the number of uncompleted training projects was greater (about a third), it is difficult to judge their efficacy because of their small number. Juveniles who received alternative sanctions differed from those whose cases were dismissed or who were traditionally sanctioned in that they were older, were less likely to belong to an ethnic minority, were more likely to be out of school and unemployed, and were more likely to be under a protection order and to have had prior judicial contacts. There was no evidence of net-widening, and most juveniles had positive attitudes toward participation in the programs. Overall, this experimental program was judged successful, and further evaluations are planned. 5 tables, 14 figures, and 8 references.