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Texas Revised Juvenile Justice and Education Codes: Not All Change Is Good

NCJ Number
178659
Journal
Journal of Juvenile Law Volume: 19 Dated: 1998 Pages: 1-45
Author(s)
M. Johnson
Date Published
1998
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This article examines recently revised juvenile justice and education codes in Texas and critiques their impact on black and brown communities.
Abstract
Part One of the article discusses numerous provisions selected from the Texas codes and their impact on juvenile justice in general and the black and brown communities in particular. It focuses on the legislative acts and responsibilities that communities must accept and fulfill. In Part Two, experts in the areas of juvenile justice and education share their ideas for assuring child welfare. Among the specific topics reviewed in the article are the child’s rights in juvenile court; parental responsibility; sentencing guidelines for children adjudicated for criminal conduct; rehabilitation measures; and training and education. Revisions to the Texas Juvenile and Education Codes represent the legislature’s attempt to punish juveniles who commit crime. Not so much geared toward eliminating crime, the legislative approach is geared toward ensuring that the system is prepared to isolate and institutionalize offending children. Notes