Washington State's New Juvenile Code, 5 - Legislative Intent - A Summary of the Interview Data

• NCJ Number: 72323
• Author(s): L W Kennedy
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 30 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77JN990017
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: University of Washington
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Part five of a five part series

Annotation

As part of an implementation assessment project, this background report on Washington State's new juvenile code identifies the most influential actors in shaping the legislation, describes their influences, and clarifies their motives.

Abstract

The implementation assessment project, which was not fully completed, called for a thorough understanding of the legislative intentions behind the passage of the new code. In order to accomplish this, interviews were conducted with persons who had played important roles in the legislative process. The first section considers the role of legislators and their staffs and of such lobbyists as the King County Prosecutor's Office, the City of Seattle Community Accountability Program, the American Civil Liberties Union, Evergreen Legal Services, the Seattle Public Defender's Office, and the Bureau of Juvenile Rehabilitation. It also examines the roles of the 'Reform Coalition,' of the opposition, and of the alliance between certainty-of-punishment and diversion-treatment forces. The second sectin identifies studies and successful juvenile offender programs that were influential during the shoping of the new code. The third section presents the respondents' views on problems before passage of the new code, the legislative intent, and the expected outcomes. In the final section, the interaction of the legislature and the Department of Social and Health Services, the key services provider under the new code, during the legislative process is described. For related reports, see NCJ 72319-22.