NCJ Number
79024
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Views on the implementation of the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act are presented from the Policy Steering Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety of the National Association of Counties.
Abstract
The National Association of Counties maintains that most juvenile delinquency is rooted in social circumstances, that status offenses are but the most obvious example of this, that the courts are not the proper agencies to attempt the rehabilitation of status offenders, that community-based alternatives to incarceration are essential elements of a humane social and juvenile justice policy, and that deinstitutionalization accomplished in a timely manner with due consideration to available resources ought to be a major priority. The Association urges that Congress consider establishing a new title to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act that would provide for an independently funded program of State subsidies. The program would (1) reduce the number of commitments to any juvenile facility, (2) increase the use of nonsecure community-based facilities, (3) reduce the use of incarceration and detention of juveniles, and (4) encourage the development of organizational and planning capacity to coordinate youth development and delinquency prevention services. The Association further recommends that funding for private agency work with juveniles be funneled through county agencies that coordinate a network of juvenile services. Amendments to the act that have provided 100 percent funding for qualified programs are considered particularly important for programs encouraging deinstitutionalization in States where there is significant opposition. Attention should also be given to the limited authority of State advisory groups and the role of State planning agencies in implementing local programs for juveniles.