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Juvenile Justice Legislation 1999: Change in Focus

NCJ Number
185415
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 62 Issue: 6 Dated: October 2000 Pages: 159-160
Author(s)
James Turpin
Date Published
October 2000
Length
2 pages
Annotation
An annual survey conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures revealed that juvenile justice legislation passed during 1999 focused on different areas than in previous years and that these laws often reflected new issues of the day, including school safety, records and proceedings, restorative justice, and mental health issues.
Abstract
Some of these issues are gaining prominence in the adult justice system as well. Legislatures responded to school violence with a variety of school safety laws that addressed weapons possession and information sharing between schools and other government agencies. Some laws revised both the access to and process of juvenile judicial proceedings. The classification of offenses and their sanctions continued to attract attention. States also established penalties for and required testing of youths who committed drug and alcohol offenses. States continued to refine and enact laws holding parents accountable for their children’s delinquent behavior and requiring them to pay fines or attend court or classes. Other laws addressed gang activity, gang recruitment, the establishment of criteria to prosecute juveniles as adults, juvenile corrections and detention, notification and other issues related to juvenile sex offenders, and greater efforts at juvenile delinquency prevention. Figure