NCJ Number
194146
Date Published
October 2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper examines current juvenile justice policies in Australia, notably Victoria, that have led to the increased detention of juveniles and proposes policies that will be more effective in targeting the causes of juvenile delinquency and in achieving significant behavioral change.
Abstract
The escalating incarceration of juveniles is related to the lack of services in the community and the reduction in diversionary programs for juveniles. Further, there are an increasing number of drug-addicted youth who are being incarcerated for drug-related offenses. Also, juveniles are serving longer terms of detention due to changes in sentencing law and to judicial dispensations. Other factors are the lack of legal aid for older juveniles and the secrecy of program outcomes due to secrecy provisions in the Corrections Act of 1986 and the Freedom of Information Act of 1982. There are measures that could reduce the increases in juvenile detention and prevent juveniles from being negatively impacted by incarceration conditions. Resources for juveniles in the community should be improved and expanded, and a fuller battery of diversionary options should be developed, both for the courts and at intake, so as to prevent appropriate juveniles from entering the criminal justice system. Programs for juveniles must target the needs and problems diagnosed in screening evaluations, and early detection of problem behavior should be promoted. Further, there must be a careful monitoring of all aspects of service delivery for youth, so as to ensure that the best interests of the child are being met.