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New Directions for Juvenile Justice: The Serious Habitual Offender/Drug Involved Program (SHO/DI)

NCJ Number
109538
Date Published
1984
Length
28 pages
Annotation
In accordance with the National Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention recommendations, the Serious Habitual Offender/Drug Involved (SHO/DI) program was developed to respond to the problem of serious habitual juvenile offenders. Portsmouth, Va., began its involvement with the program in May 1983.
Abstract
Research has shown that a small group of multiple problem youths account for a disproportionately large number of serious juvenile crime. Also, the relationship between drug/alcohol abuse and crime has been extensively documented. SHO/DI program goals are to focus on serious habitual juvenile crime and to establish criminal justice policies and procedures against juvenile crimes associated with drugs. SHO/DI is designed to increase the effectiveness of the police, prosecutor, and juvenile authorities to deal with juvenile crime and drug use by using a more systematic approach to data gathering, analysis, planning, and integration of police activities. The systems approach includes cooperative agreements between the police with other agencies, such as schools, probation, and community groups to exchange particular types of information. Other components of the system model include prosecutor, juvenile court, and corrections. Because these agencies communicate on a regular basis, a SHO/DI is less likely to 'fall through the cracks' of the system. 3 figures and 6 references.