Juvenile Justice Policy

Until the 1960's, most juvenile justice policy research described the way in which the judicial system operated by concentrating on its formal characteristics. This was best exemplified by studies that accounted for the progress of juveniles through various decision-making points, in much the same way as one would construct a flow chart. Since that time, researchers have discovered that actual practice is often very different from the ideal. Add to this phenomenon the great changes implemented in the system through shifts in court jurisdiction and diversion programmmes, and the result is extremely complex. The works in this volume all represent a concern for the implications, both manifest and latent, of juvenile justice policy. They do not accept the formal goals and lines of authority as given, but rather seek to establish the real dynamics of decision-making and outcome. Each chapter presents an examination of a juvenile justice policy that is sensitive to the subterranean processes that may affect the implementation, execution, or outcome of that policy. Juvenile justice professionals -- analysts, evaluators and policy makers -- will be required to confront the realities of the policies and not be content with the illusions.Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Staff is the author of 'Juvenile Justice Policy', published 1984 under ISBN 9780803921979 and ISBN 0803921977.