NCJ Number
102226
Date Published
1985
Length
183 pages
Annotation
A total of 200 interviews with key actors and court observations were conducted between 1982 and 1984 to identify major factors in the structure and operation of northern and rural juvenile courts in Manitoba, Canada.
Abstract
The study profiles the structural organization of the juvenile court system, the problems key actors face in working within the system, and the courtroom facilities. A typology of the 22 communities selected for the study focuses on the level of resource development and families' potential need for resources. A file study of the cases processed at all sites in 1981 addresses offender and offense characteristics and the variables affecting case dispositions. Court observer findings note such factors as the formality of proceedings, who attended the hearings, and the participation level of involved parties. Interviews with key court system actors and community persons involved with juveniles focuses on court personnel qualities, court dispositions, community input for the court, and detention facilities. The study findings address court formality, speed, facilities, and decisionmaking consistency; the structural problems of circuit court delivery; the linkage of court personnel to the community; and variation in community type and the court. Policy implications and future research directions are discussed. Appended study data, research design, and instruments.