NCJ Number
67140
Date Published
1979
Length
27 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT ON STATUS OFFENDERS IN NEW YORK STATE ARGUES THAT TRUANT, RUNAWAY, AND INCORRIGIBLE YOUTHS SHOULD BE DIVERTED FROM JUVENILE COURT INTO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS; EXAMPLES OF SUCH PROGRAMS ARE GIVEN.
Abstract
NONCRIMINAL TRUANT, RUNAWAY, AND INCORRIGIBLE YOUTHS, KNOWN AS PINS (PERSONS IN NEED OF SUPERVISION), OR STATUS OFFENDERS, ARE BEST AND MOST ECONOMICALLY CARED FOR IN COURT DIVERSION PROGRAMS RATHER THAN BY THE COURTS, IN PART BECAUSE MIXING CRIMINAL WITH PINS JUVENILES ENCOURAGES CRIMINALITY IN PINS. THUS, STATE LEGISLATION SHOULD BE AMENDED WHERE NEEDED TO DIVERT PINS YOUTH, REQUIRE COUNTIES TO DEVELOP DIVERSION PLANS, AND CAUSE COURTS TO SECURE DIVERSION SERVICES FOR YOUTHFUL STATUS OFFENDERS. A LIST IS GIVEN OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO COULD HELP DEVELOP THESE DIVERSION PROGRAMS, AND ACTIONS THEY SHOULD TAKE INCLUDE LEARNING ABOUT PINS YOUTH PRIOR TO COURT INVOLVEMENT, AND ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS AND LOCAL POLICE TO CHANNEL PINS YOUTH INTO PROGRAMS RATHER THAN COURTS. IN MANY COMMUNITIES, LOCAL PINS GROUPS ARE ALREADY PUBLISHING SURVEYS OF PINS PROGRAMS, PINS POSITION PAPERS, AND PINS NEWLETTERS; RECRUITING AND TRAINING PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS; AND RAISING FUNDS. CURRENT PIN PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE REDUCING JUVENILE CRIME, FORMING TASK FORCES, PROVIDING TRAINING AND EMERGENCY HELP FOR RUNAWAYS, AND PROVIDING OTHER SERVICES. ESSENTIAL TO EFFECTIVE PINS TASK FORCES ARE CLARIFYING ISSUES AND PURPOSES; ARTICULATING NEEDS; AND AGREEING ON GOALS, VALUES, AND THE ROLES OF PARTICIPANTS. PINS GROUPS AND PROGRAMS WILL RUN INTO TROUBLE, HOWEVER, IF THEY NEGLECT PINS FAMILIES, DROP THE FAMILY AND YOUTH AFTER A CRISIS HAS PASSED, OR IGNORE PROBLEMS IN THE YOUTH'S ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS POOR SCHOOL PROGRAMS, ETC. INSTEAD, PROGRAMS SHOULD TRY TO RESTORE THE FAMILIES INVOLVED, PROVIDE 24-HOUR CRISIS SERVICES AND COUNSELING AND INTERVENTION, AND ENCOURAGE THE COOPERATION OF INTERESTED NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS. EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ARE DISCUSSED. REFERENCE NOTES ARE INCLUDED.