NCJ Number
79857
Date Published
1981
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This booklet highlights problems caused by the indiscriminate jailing of juveniles and then outlines strategies that local citizens and community groups can follow to promote alternatives to secure detention and mount a successful public education campaign.
Abstract
An opening statement emphasizes that the elimination of jailing juveniles can only come from informed and committed action at the local level. An overview of the issues provides statistics on the numbers of juveniles placed in jails unnecessarily; examines the physical and psychological damage produced by the jail experience; and describes the overcrowded, dangerous, and unsanitary conditions of many local jails. Federal and State laws mandating the removal of juveniles from adult detention facilities are reviewed. Alternatives to secure detention that have been used successfully by communities are outlined, such as group homes, runaway programs, home detention, evening report centers, family crisis counseling, and proctor programs. Strategies that citizens can adopt to encourage more effective and less costly alternatives are detailed. Suggestions include visiting local jails to obtain information on conditions, participating in State and local criminal justice planning efforts, and volunteering to work in an alternative program. Guidelines for developing a public education campaign consider the coordinator's responsibilities, preparing press releases and articles for newspaper, and public service programming. Also discussed are printed materials, contests, speakers bureaus, and proclamations of special days or weeks. A resource section summarizes the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's technical assistance program, lists over 50 references, and provides a directory of State criminal justice planning agencies and youth advocacy organizations.