This bulletin addresses the issue of improving interagency cooperation between the school and the court for the purpose of coordinating their efforts to reduce violence and vandalism within the school and the community. The experiences of Berrien County (Michigan) are used to illustrate the process of assessing, formalizing, and maintaining…

This examines an exemplary project of community arbitration, a juvenile justice alternative. Essential elements of this project are described and include: (1) prompt case processing, (2) court-like setting, (3) involvement of victims, (4) assurance of due process, (5) use of community resources, and (6) constructive dispositions. Facets of CAP…

The training manual of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is intended for personnel involved with Youth Service Bureaus and other diversion projects which provide direct services to delinquent or predelinquent youths with the hope of preventing initial or further involvement with the juvenile justice system. Section…

This paper presents arguments for a closer relationship between the American legal system and developmental research in such areas as attachment, the effects of early home environment, cognitive development, and the consequences of giving children decision-making power. It is suggested that greater knowledge in these areas would allow policy…

The police Youth Protection Unit (YPU) has four full-time officers under San Jose's police chief. The objectives of the YPU are: to prevent juvenile delinquency, encourage respect for law enforcement, provide information, expose youth to policeman and police work, and to given them places to go and things to do with their leisure time. In the…

A description and evaluation of the Baltimore Youth Advocate Project (YAP) is provided in this report. This project attempted to find out whether, to what extent, and with what results certain children could actually be diverted from the juvenile justice system. The project provided coaching and counseling services to pre-delinquent and…

Described is the program of the Georgetown Adolescent Intervention Team (Washington, D.C.), which provides interdisciplinary evaluations and diagnoses, and identifies appropriate alternative placements for developmentally disabled juvenile offenders (10-16 years old and older). The program is discussed in terms of a review of procedures for…

Presents a lesson on capital punishment for juveniles based on three hypothetical cases. The goal of the lesson is to have students understand the complexities of decisions regarding the death penalty for juveniles. (JDH)

Strain and conflict have often characterized the working relationship between lawyers and social workers. The author believes that this situation might be eased if lawyers understood how social workers can help them, and if they knew specifically what social workers do better than lawyers. (Author)

As state governments realize that ignoring the child welfare status quo will victimize more children and increase state agencies' difficulties, they have begun implementing various reform ideas. Efforts to reform the family court system face many obstacles (turf battles among government agencies, inadequate numbers of attorneys, and lack of…

Children's rights are discussed as part of a larger conflict between the integrative (emphasizing the duty of institutions to guide the child) and the libertarian views of civil rights. The relative authority given to the judgments of parents, professionals, and children by the law and by court decisions is described. (Author/PP)

Examines the juvenile court system in the United States and traces its history and philosophy. Presents figures and statistics which pose questions involving the efficacy of the juvenile justice system. Presents some measures suggested by studies set up to establish uniform standards relating to treatment of the young. (Author)

Describes a one-week summer law course that taught 15 gifted students (grades four through eight) about the U.S. court structure, the sources of law, juvenile law and how it differs from laws governing adults, the Fourth Amendment, the relationship between students and schools, and gifted education and the law. (CR)

A study examined juvenile cases processed in an East Coast state between 1992 and 1994 (n=33,423). Findings indicate mental health placements are used rarely relative to other court outcomes (i.e., dismissal, probation, other types of placements), and gender and race significantly influence whether an offender receives this type of treatment.…

This study set out to explore the mechanisms for educating court-involved youth in Chicago, learn about the available educational options, and the barriers, if any, these young people face when continuing in or returning to school. A key finding is that educational options in Chicago that are designed expressly for court-involved youth who are…