The manual was developed by an advisory group of prosecutors convened by the American Prosecutors Research Institute. The manual covers 12 topics: organizational priorities, the decision to prosecute, adult versus juvenile prosecution, juvenile detention, juvenile sentencing, terminology, statements by juveniles, parental responsibility, information access, victims' rights, guns and dangerous weapons, gangs, and the Federal responsibility. The discussion concludes that the current juvenile justice system was created to handle nonviolent and at-risk youth and is poorly equipped to handle serious, violent, and habitual juvenile offenders. It recommends that prosecutors have the discretion to waive juvenile cases to adult court; that law enforcement, social services, and other agencies share information; and that juvenile proceedings be open to the public. Appended background information and charts on State juvenile justice systems