NCJ Number
194458
Journal
Children's Legal Rights Journal Volume: 21 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2001-2002 Pages: 25-35
Date Published
2002
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article examines the history of American efforts to deal with children who get into trouble.
Abstract
Society in general and juvenile justice professionals in particular are beginning to agree that youth who break laws should be subject to a different system of justice than adult criminals. Justice requires that juvenile courts, treatment providers, policymakers, law enforcement, community stakeholders, youths, and their families collaborate in creating comprehensive, integrated community systems of care for children who get in trouble. This article addresses the emerging roles of legal professionals, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in such collaborative efforts. The article declares that collaboration is at the root of the change process, and systematic use of collaboration extends beyond the interaction of the participants. Community problem-solving requires collaboration because of the serious nature of today's problems: poverty, environmental degradation, the welfare of children, and juvenile crime, to name a few. Notes