Public Attitudes Toward Juvenile Crime and Juvenile Justice: Implications for Public Policy (From Exploring Delinquency: Causes and Control, P 13-21, 1996, Dean G Rojek and Gary F Jensen, eds. -- See NCJ-165981)

• NCJ Number: 165984
• Author(s): I M Schwartz; S Guo; J J Kerbs
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Roxbury Publishing Co.
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A Center for Youth Policy opinion poll shows considerable public support for the treatment and rehabilitation goals of the juvenile court but also shows that the public wants the most serious juvenile offenders tried in adult court.

Abstract

The survey was completed in 1991 using a dual-frame design telephone sample. The study examined respondent opinions regarding due process, trying in adult court juveniles who commit serious crimes, sentencing juveniles to adult prisons, and youth correctional intervention options. Findings show that public views about the legal processing of juveniles accused of serious crimes are inconsistent with the parens patriae model. They want juveniles to receive the same due process protections accorded adults, to be tried in an open court setting, and, if found guilty, to be held accountable for their actions; however, the public does not want to abandon the juvenile model for youth detention and correction. The public supports the juvenile court and its traditional emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation. The public also prefers that tax dollars be spent on community-based programs compared to training schools and other costly residential services. This suggests that policymakers and juvenile justice professionals might explore how existing juvenile crime-fighting dollars could be used differently and more efficiently. A number of States have demonstrated that they can administer youth correction systems largely through community-based programs without compromising public safety. The study found that fear of being a victim of violent crime leads to increased support for trying juveniles in adult courts. In addition, such fears lead to increased support for incarcerating juveniles in adult prisons for serious violent crime. Unless the public's fear of being victims of violent crime is addressed and abated, it is conceivable that juvenile court and the youth corrections system could be abolished. The time has come for policymakers to begin thinking about alternatives to juvenile court. 15 notes