NCJ Number
181680
Date Published
May 2000
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This report presents profiles of 12 individuals who were petitioned into juvenile court as serious delinquents when they were young and then turned their lives around to attain leadership positions and achieve successes in government, business, and other areas.
Abstract
The profiles came from a book titled "Second Chances: 100 Years of the Children's Court: Giving Kids a Chance to Make a Better Choice." The narratives highlight fundamental principles of the juvenile court that helped these youths prosper in adulthood. These principles included protection from stigmatization, rehabilitation, and individualized attention. The individuals profiled include Olympic athlete Boc Beamon, whose delinquency history included assaults, truancy, and running away from home, and Terence Hallinan, San Francisco District Attorney, who spent time in juvenile hall and jail for fighting and assault. Another individual profiled is Alan Simpson, former United States Senator and current Director of the Harvard University Institute of Politics; Simpson served two years on probation for destruction of Federal property and who also shoplifted and was arrested for breaching the peace as a young adult. Additional profiles, photographs, and 7 references