Definition: While similar to that of the adult criminal justice system in many ways—processes include arrest, detainment, petitions, hearings, adjudications, dispositions, placement, probation, and reentry—the juvenile justice process operates according to the premise that youth are fundamentally different from adults, both in terms of level of responsibility and potential for rehabilitation. The primary goals of the juvenile justice system, in addition to maintaining public safety, are skill development, habilitation, rehabilitation, addressing treatment needs, and successful reintegration of youth into the community.
Content Associated with this Tag
- Easy Access to the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (EZACJRP) was developed to facilitate independent analysis of national data on the characteristics of youth held in residential placement facilities, including detailed information about the youth's age, sex, race/ethnicity, placement status, length of stay, and most serious offense.
- This groundbreaking study provides data for the first time revealing that adults surveyed view Black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than white girls of the same age, especially between 5-14 years old (p. 2).
- This pilot study compared the recidivism risks of older, high-risk juvenile probationers exposed or unexposed to an experimental case-management intervention to further the development of a supportive community intervention.
- This report highlights the data on girls in the juvenile justice system and the trauma that often leads them there, examines the effect the juvenile justice system has on girls and their access to education, and offers recommendations to avoid placing girls in the juvenile justice system and instead help them receive the educational and other services they need (p. 1).
Disability is an important intersectional identity in juvenile justice trends.
This brief describes the principles of sex-responsive programs, summarizes the literature, and presents highlights of MDRC’s implementation study of PACE Center for Girls.
This report describes the implementation of PACE at the 14 centers that are participating in the evaluation.
- The toolkit provides effective culturally responsive practices for prevention programs supporting Latina youth who are at risk of placement in juvenile detention including recommendations, action steps for each recommendation, and targeted resources.
America’s youth confinement rate dropped across all racial and ethnic groups during the last decade - and by 40% overall.
This publication describes the eight essential elements of a trauma-informed juvenile justice system.
- This 7-page fact sheet delineates the path from complex trauma exposure to involvement in the juvenile justice system; describes the “survival-oriented coping” that youth adopt to manage their lives; and explores the many challenges these youth face in managing their emotions, physical responses, and impulses.
Juvenile Mental Health Courts (JMHCs) provide case management and support to youth in the juvenile justice system with behavioral health needs.