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Juvenile Courts: Access to Justice, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary, March 4, 1992

NCJ Number
148486
Date Published
1992
Length
310 pages
Annotation
This is the transcript of a hearing before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice that received testimony on the status of the juvenile court system, with a view toward developing proposals to include in the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
Abstract
Testimony is presented by current and former juvenile court judges, a representative of the American Bar Association, a public defender, and the senior vice president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Witnesses agree that the current juvenile court system is not effective in preventing recidivism and providing services that address the underlying causes of delinquent and criminal behavior. The juvenile court judges argue that the court is powerless to help the juveniles that come before them unless there are treatment services to which they can refer them. They state that limited government funds tend to be expended on legal processes while expanded therapeutic services are underfunded. The representative of the American Bar Association and the public defender criticize the juvenile justice system for its failure to render justice through appropriate protection of the rights of juvenile defendants. They argue for the right to counsel for every juvenile, particularly those faced with out-of- home placements and institutionalization. All witnesses believe the court fails to justify its existence if it does not coordinate early intervention services for juveniles and their families to prevent recidivism. This report includes studies of the use of juvenile court waivers to adult courts in Florida and how to keep juveniles out of secure detention.