NCJ Number
167095
Date Published
1997
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Addressed to administrators or line staff in the juvenile justice system who may be contemplating implementation of a law- related education (LRE) program, this paper discusses related issues in the Kentucky juvenile justice system and attempts to inspire diversion programs, probation departments, and other community-based agencies serving at-risk youth or first-time juvenile offenders to pursue LRE as a program option.
Abstract
The paper begins with a discussion of LRE's use as a diversion option in the Kentucky Court Designated Worker (CDW) Program. Emphasis is placed on the fact that in Kentucky the intake officers are on call 24 hours a day, maintain regular office hours, screen youth eligible for informal processing, and serve as LRE program facilitators for diverted youth. Although the model presented is housed in a diversion setting, with minor modifications, it is also suitable for adaptation in probation and other community-based settings. The paper also addresses Kentucky's preliminary involvement in LRE and the initial stages that involve facilitator training, recruitment of resource persons, and enrollment of participants. A description of a typical LRE session is also provided in hopes that future facilitators in diverse settings will see the magnitude of flexibility and creativity afforded in this program. A brief section that highlights the theoretical framework is also included. The last sections of the paper address the minor problems encountered in various phases of program development, remedies to those issues, and how successes in the pilot program phase have led to expanded LRE programming. The rate of growth that Kentucky LRE has experienced, coupled with program diversification, convinces the authors that LRE is an efficient, cost-effective program. 10 references and appended processing/eligibility criteria, pilot program curriculum, and knowledge pretest and answer key.