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SENSE OF INJUSTICE - AN ANALYSIS OF JUVENILES' REACTIONS TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

NCJ Number
34761
Journal
Criminology Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1976) Pages: 93-112
Author(s)
P C GIORDANO
Date Published
1976
Length
20 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER ANALYZES THREE JUVENILE JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS - THE POLICE, JUVENILE PROBATION, AND JUVENILE COURT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE CLIENT OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
Abstract
WHILE MUCH OF THE DELINQUENCY LITERATURE (IN PARTICULAR DAVID MATZA'S NOTION OF THE SENSE OF INJUSTICE) SUGGESTS A NEGATIVE RESPONSE BY YOUTHS WHO HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE SYSTEM, THE PRESENT RESEARCH FOUND THAT YOUTHS WITH GREATER SYSTEM CONTACT ACTUALLY EXPRESSED MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD PROBATION OFFICERS AND COURT JUDGES THAN DID THEIR LESS EXPERIENCED COUNTERPARTS. AT THE SAME TIME, A NEGATIVE CORRELATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN EXPERIENCE IN THE SYSTEM AND YOUTHS' EVALUATIONS OF THESE AGENCIES IN TERMS OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN PERFORMING IMPORTANT AGENCY TASKS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)