NCJ Number
73848
Date Published
1980
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This report compiles statutes of the 50 States relevant to the placement of juveniles in jails and adult correctional facilities in both preadjudication and postadjudication stages.
Abstract
An introductory section discusses major changes in juvenile law that have occurred in the past decade because of the increased role of the Federal Government on State and local levels since 1974 and because of the sensitivity of State legislatures to the potential harm caused by incarcerating juveniles with adult offenders. The section describes the sight and sound separation requirement outlined by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the 1980 recommendation by OJJDP and the Justice Department that the sight and sound requirements be eliminated in favor of a standard of complete removal of children from adult correctional facilities. State compliance Statutes' OJJDP guidelines is described also. As of 1979, only three States had no statutory limitations on the level of juvenile contact with adults in corrections facilities. One State, North Carolina, requires total physical separation. Many States are silent on postadjudicatory placement of juveniles in an adult facility. The major part of the report contains citations and exact quotes of the relevant statutes taken from 1979 State supplements. In addition, 1980 legislative changes enacted in North Carolina, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri, Florida, South Carolina, and Washington are included. A chart titled 'Children in Jails: A Review of State Statutes' is appended.