NCJ Number
80211
Date Published
1981
Length
264 pages
Annotation
This book reports on the welfare and juvenile justice systems of England and Wales from the receiver's perspective. The research involved hundreds of indepth interviews and court observations of juvenile clients and their families, social workers, and probation officers.
Abstract
The analysis of juvenile processing procedures ranges from the police role in selecting alleged offenders to court proceedings and their aftermath. Through extensive use of in-court dialog, the book contrasts the meting out of criminal justice in the liberal, paternal juvenile courts of the city with the countryside's punitive court orientation. The examination of care proceedings reveals that welfare justice occurs with significant variations in the treatment and sentencing of offenders. The personal accounts of families who have passed through these court regimes are presented. Working-class youths and their parents talk about their life chances, their feelings about law and order and the police, and courtroom experiences at the hands of clerks, magistrates, and lawyers. Their attitudes toward supervision, social workers, and probation officers are also revealed. These views from the recipients are juxtaposed with those of the officials and professional workers involved. The discussion points out those situations characterized by problems and moral dilemmas that are beyond the management skills of court and welfare workers alike. Notes, tabular data, and an index are provided. The bibliography has 85 entries. (Publisher's summary modified)