NCJ Number
186507
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 28 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2000 Pages: 507-515
Editor(s)
Kent B. Joscelyn
Date Published
2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Juvenile offenders are sometimes transferred to criminal courts where they may stand trial as adults, but the rationale for this trend cannot be justified based on evidence from developmental psychology, evidence of consistent positive effects for particular intervention strategies, and ethical arguments for the justification of punishment.
Abstract
In actuality, the rationale reflects the selective manipulation of alternative conceptions of young people as dependent and vulnerable or as autonomous and responsible to continue to justify policies that entail cultural and racial discrimination. Discretionary decisions at various stages of the juvenile justice process amplify racial disparities as minority young people proceed through the juvenile justice system and receive more severe dispositions than comparable white young people. Nonetheless, the current concern with juvenile violence has produced a flood of legislative activity to increase the number of violent juveniles who qualify for transfer to criminal court. To achieve an optimum balance between effective treatment, accountability, and community protection, however, the available evidence suggests juvenile courts need access to a broad array of dispositional options. These options include formal diversion, local accountability boards, in-home supervision and day treatment, and various out-of-home placements that provide different security levels and treatment types. 42 references