NCJ Number
174346
Date Published
1994
Length
108 pages
Annotation
A 7-month study of juvenile delinquency and ways to address it concluded that the critical element for combating juvenile crime in the long run is leadership, that the many juvenile delinquency factors require multiple prevention strategies, and that a shift in priorities and funding is needed to halt increasing amounts of violent juvenile crime.
Abstract
The research indicated that juvenile delinquency results from the failures of parents, schools, public organizations, and communities. Reinvigorating these elements of society so that they may provide children with solid values and good decision-making skills requires multiple strategies that can be put into place according to specific needs of families, neighborhoods, and communities. However, the gradual shift in spending patterns over the last two decades has resulted in the near elimination of early intervention and prevention programs and the increase in back-end incarceration expenses. The probation officer is the crucial person who is well positioned to make a difference in the life of juvenile delinquents, but probation budgets have compressed and outreach efforts stripped to the point where many probation officer can do little more than keep track of overwhelming caseloads on paper. Recommended actions to address these issues include consolidating all juvenile anticrime efforts in a single, high-level State agency to provide strong leadership and accountability for results and directing all government agencies to make early intervention and prevention programs a top priority. Sixteen additional recommendations and appended background information and reference notes