NCJ Number
72414
Date Published
1980
Length
35 pages
Annotation
Key juvenile justice officials in two Oklahoma counties were interviewed in order to analyze the State's juvenile justice statutes and system and to compare these with American Bar Association (ABA) standards and other standards.
Abstract
The study focused on diversion programs and the deinstitutionalization of status offenders. The officials interviewed were located in rural Stephens County and urban Oklahoma County. Oklahoma County has a juvenile court division which is physically separated from adult courts and is served by three full-time judges. In Stephens County, the associate district judge is assigned juvenile matters, along with other court business. The ABA standards differ from the Oklahoma system in their assertion that noncriminal behavior is not a basis for court jurisdiction. However, handling of alleged delinquents in Oklahoma is similar to that recommended in the ABA standards, since both emphasize delinquency prevention and diversion from the formal judicial process. Although Oklahoma is not subject to provisions of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, Oklahomans should be aware of another Federal law, the Federal Youthful Offenders Act. It is recommended that certain existing statutory provisions be amended to facilitate the statute's implementation. In addition, basic modifications and/or significant additions to the juvenile justice system are needed. Recommended are expansion of dispositional alternatives for youthful offenders, removal of status offenders from the juvenile justice system, and conduct of delinquency proceedings under the rules of criminal procedure. Footnotes including references and appendixes presenting the study questionnaire and figures illustrating the State's juvenile justice system are included. For related case studies, see NCJ 72413 and 72415-16.