U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Trial and Incarceration of Juveniles as Adults: Recent Developments in Massachusetts

NCJ Number
119908
Journal
New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1989) Pages: 103-120
Author(s)
I Shalom
Date Published
1989
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Massachusetts has enacted legislation that provides for the trial and incarceration of juveniles as adults for the commission of serious crimes, most recently amending this legislation in 1985. This note focuses on these changes.
Abstract
The note first examines the procedure permitted by statute, as interpreted by the courts, regarding the processing of juveniles upon arrest. This includes a discussion of the fingerprinting and photographing of juveniles as well as their rights under the Miranda ruling. The note then addresses the issue of pretrial detention of juveniles, as permitted by Massachusetts law. Next, the note considers the criteria used by the courts, as provided by statute, for the determination of which juveniles will be tried as adults and possibly incarcerated. The note concludes with an assessment of the success of the Massachusetts approach, drawing a comparison with alternative approaches. The note concludes that it is unwarranted to use a tough policy toward juvenile crime that is contrary to the intent of the State legislature when the necessity for such a policy has not been established. A suggested alternative is to provide swift and just punishment to those juveniles whose transfer for trial as adults is warranted under the originally established standards. 107 footnotes.