NCJ Number
89522
Date Published
1982
Length
99 pages
Annotation
This study found that although the juvenile codes of the 20 States examined differed in language, rules and procedures, and the roles of the major actors in the juvenile justice system, these differences were not reflected in reported police practices in dealing with juveniles.
Abstract
Juvenile codes and police practices were examined for the States of Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. States selected met one of the following criteria: (1) had recent serious juvenile offender legislation, (2) had statutes addressing the differential handling of first-time and repeat juvenile offenders, or (3) had indications that minimal latitude is given to police when taking a juvenile into custody. The review showed a limited consensus among the States about the handling of juveniles in the preadjudicatory stages. The 365 questionnaires returned from police agencies in the States showed, however, a trend toward uniformity in the police handling of juveniles that belied differences in statutory mandates; e.g., although there were striking differences in statutory mandates for police diversion of juveniles, diversion practices tended to be similar across States. While differences in legislation between States did not apparently produce differences in police practices, neither did legislation in a given State produce uniformity in police practices across agencies. These findings suggest that police discretion and community and organizational constraints are significant factors is determining how juvenile codes are implemented. For individual entries, see NCJ-89523-24.