STANDARDS ON JUVENILE JUSTICE

• NCJ Number: 54664
• Author(s): M DRISCOLL; R JOHNSON; W S WHITE; T WILLIAMS
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 0 pages
• Corporate Author: Teach 'Em Inc
• Sale Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; Not Available Through National Institute of Justice/NCJRS Document Loan Program
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. 19 MINUTES, AUDIOCASSETTE, 1976

Annotation

THIS TAPE CASSETTE FROM THE THIRD NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JUVENILE JUSTICE PRESENTS A DISCUSSION ON THE STANDARDS FOR JUVENILE SENTENCING AND REVIEWS THE HISTORY OF THE JUVENILE COURTS.

Abstract

THE USE OF SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE SENTENCING WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY DETRACT FROM THE CAPACITY OF JUDGES TO DESIGN SENTENCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL OFFENDER. INDIVIDUALIZED JUSTICE MUST NOT BE USED ARBITRARILY, BUT MUST BE THE PRODUCT OF THE PROPER USE OF DISCRETION. UNIFORM SENTENCING OR MINIMUM SENTENCES DEAL WITH THE OFFENSE AND NOT WITH THE NEEDS OF THE CHILD. DUE PROCESS, IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHILD AND THE PARENTS, REQUIRES COURTS WITH THE POWER OF DISCRETIONARY DECISIONMAKING. CONCERN IS RAISED OVER THE PROPER PREPARATION OF SENTENCING REPORTS FROM PROBATION OFFICERS. STANDARDS FOR JUVENILE ADJUDICATION OUGHT TO BE EXAMINED BY A WIDE RANGE OF PROFESSIONALS FROM THE LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCES. THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS UNDERLYING JUVENILE LAWS HAVE CHANGED, AND THE LAWS OUGHT TO REFLECT NEW PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL PERSONS, INCLUDING CHILDREN AND MINORITIES. (TWK)