NCJ Number
178661
Journal
University of San Francisco Law Review Volume: 33 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 1999 Pages: 401-434
Date Published
1999
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This article examines recent reforms to the juvenile justice system and their effectiveness in addressing the underlying causes of juvenile crime.
Abstract
The article reviews developments leading to the inception of the juvenile court and describes some of the laws that state legislatures, Congress and even the public have passed to “reform” juvenile courts. Although many of the new laws were enacted in direct response to specific, heinous crimes committed by juveniles, they affect all juveniles. Thus, the rare, sensationalized crime has driven reformation of of the entire juvenile system. The article questions whether current reforms will make a difference in reducing juvenile crime. It also examines certain types of early intervention programs to reduce juvenile crime, in particular programs developed in Boston, which illustrate how community treatment can be more successful than incarceration in combating juvenile crime. Notes