NCJ Number
126150
Date Published
1988
Length
86 pages
Annotation
The papers and discussions presented at this symposia contributed to a debate over issues of juvenile justice in Australia.
Abstract
The first paper reviews the juvenile justice reform process over recent years. The paper argues for greater flexibility from the courts noting that safeguards lay in the appeals process. The second article, which explores the juvenile cautioning system, also points out the difference between media perceptions and careful scientific examination of issues. The research highlights the disparity of juvenile convictions in various areas of New South Wales. Another report notes the media's propensity to exaggerate the incidence of juvenile crime while reviewing the characteristics of juvenile crime and the changes in legal and administrative responses to juvenile crime in the last decade. The fourth paper, presented from a personal perspective, maintains that juvenile offenders must be dealt with within the context of family and community; rehabilitation procedures must teach juveniles the consequences of their actions and instill a sense of personal achievement within them. The final two contributions to the symposium stress the need to evaluate new juvenile justice programs and to use the lowest profile of intervention during the initial stages of programs for offenders. Chapter references.