NCJ Number
204566
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 36-39
Date Published
February 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This description of how States organize and administer their juvenile delinquency services, specifically placement services, has been excerpted from the National Overviews section of the State Juvenile Justice Profiles Web Site (www.ncjj.org/stateprofile).
Abstract
In every State, an executive branch agency is responsible for administering its institutional facilities and programs for juveniles committed to its custody; however, these State agencies are of different types. Generally, there has been a trend away from placing delinquency institutions under the authority of the same agencies that operate State prison systems. Once a court has committed a juvenile to a correctional institution, the States differ in the way they structure decisionmaking about the juvenile's placement, length of stay, and eventual release. Regarding placement, the most common arrangement is one in which the court takes or may take some significant part in the determination of placement details. Regarding the length of time that juveniles are committed to State institutions, there are six disposition models. The most common arrangement is indeterminate, i.e., commitment for an indefinite period of time regardless of the offense. Length of stay is left to the releasing authority's judgment. At least four States commit juveniles for an indeterminate period, but also require in some cases that the offender serve a minimum period of time before being released. At least six States have indeterminate commitments, but specify that a juvenile cannot be confined for longer than a specified period; and at least three States have indeterminate commitments with both minimum and maximum specifications. At least 12 States authorize or require courts to fix the period of confinement in individual cases, but permit them to order indeterminate commitments as well. Commitments in at least six States involve confinement for a period that is set in advance by the court. Regarding release decisions, they may be made by the agency to which the juvenile has been committed; by the sentencing court; or divided among the courts, correctional department, and/or juvenile parole board.