PINS (PERSONS IN NEED OF SUPERVISION) PROCESSING IN NEW YORK - AN EVALUATION (FROM BEYOND CONTROL - STATUS OFFENDERS IN THE JUVENILE COURT, 1977 BY LEE E. TEITELBAUM AND AIDAN R. GOUGH - SEE NCJ-43043)

• NCJ Number: 43044
• Author(s): R H ANDREWS; A H COHN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 68 pages
• Corporate Author: Ballinger Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

OBSERVATIONS AND DATA FROM TWO NEW YORK COUNTIES ARE EVALUATED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT COURTS ABANDON HANDLING OF NONCRIMINAL COMPLAINTS AGAINST YOUTHS.

Abstract

FOLLOWING A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE 14-YEAR-OLD PINS PROGRAM IN NEW YORK (MANHATTAN) COUNTY AND ROCKLAND COUNTY, A FAST-GROWING SUBURBAN AREA JUST NORTH OF NEW YORK, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SCHOOLS AND PARENTS ARE TURNING TO THIS COURT-RUN PROGRAM HOPING IT WILL BE A PANACEA FOR PROBLEMS WITH CHILDREN. A SERIES OF TABLES COMPARES CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTHS PROCESSED BY EACH JURISDICTION. PROCEDURE FOLLOWED IN EACH COURT IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT WHATEVER POSITIVE EFFECT THE COUNSELING OF THE SYSTEM OFFERS IS OFFSET BY THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE COURT PROCESSING. THE COURT PROCEEDINGS MAY INTENSIFY INTRAFAMILY HOSTILITIES, AND OFTEN REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO THE COURT SIMPLY CANNOT SOLVE THE BASIC PROBLEM. BY ABANDONING PINS, THE COURT WILL FREE MORE PERSONNEL TO DEAL WITH THE TRUE NEGLECT CASES AND THE CRIMINAL CASES INVOLVING JUVENILES. OTHER COMMUNITY AGENCIES SHOULD DEAL WITH TRUANCY, RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME, AND THE INTRAFAMILY CONFLICTS WHICH TAKE UP MUCH PINS TIME. (REFUSAL TO OBEY ACCOUNTS FOR 36 PERCENT OF NEW YORK CASES, 26 PERCENT OF ROCKLAND CASES. TRUANCY ACCOUNTS FOR 48 PERCENT OF NEW YORK AND 53 PERCENT OF ROCKLAND CASES. LATE HOURS, OVERNIGHT RUNNING AWAY, AND BAD BOYFRIENDS ARE THE OTHER MAJOR COMPLAINTS.) NONCRIMINAL YOUTHS SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE BY THE LAW.