Ira M. Schwartz

The Impact of Demographic Variables on Public Opinion Regarding Juvenile Justice: Implications for Public Policy:

This article examines data from a 1991 national public opinion survey on attitudes toward juvenile crime/justice. Specifically, it explores the relationship between demographic variables and opinions toward trying juveniles in adult courts, giving them adult sentences, and sentencing them to adult prisons. The findings indicate that a majority of typical respondents favor trying juveniles in adult courts for serious felonies. Additionally, punitive attitudes toward juveniles decrease up to a certain age, usually around 50, and then increase. Findings also show that African-American parents are more supportive of punitive juvenile justice policies than other racial/ethnic groups with and without children.

The Incarceration of Minority Youth

Minority youth are being incarcerated in public juvenile correctional facilities at rates three to four times that of whites. Their numbers are growing even though overall rates of serious youth crime are declining. FBI data and self-report data indicate that minority youth are somewhat more likely than white youngsters to be involved in serious crime but not to the extent that generally has been assumed. Recent research suggests that minority youth are more likely to be arrested and charged with serious crimes than comparably delinquent white youth. Although further research on these issues is imperative, it is also crucial that public officials begin testing out new strategies to reduce the tragic trend of ever more minority children growing up behind bars.

The Watershed of Juvenile Justice Reform

This article presents an overview of current policy debates surrounding reform in the juvenile justice system. New data on trends in juvenile crime and the justice system are also presented. These data reveal that while juvenile arrests have declined, the juvenile justice system has become more formal and restrictive and more oriented toward punishment. The authors also present their views of policy implications and potential remedies.

The “Hidden” System of Juvenile Control

Recently, critics of the deinstitutionalization movement have suggested that gains made in removing juveniles from institutions in the justice system may have been offset by corresponding increases in the use of institutions in other juvenile control systems (such as, mental health, child welfare, and chemical dependency). This article is based on a study of juveniles institutionalized in the mental health and chemical dependency systems in Minnesota. The findings, which show that substantial and increasing numbers of youths are being institutionalized in these systems, lend support to the claims of the critics and raise significant policy questions in the areas of juvenile justice, child welfare, health care, and juvenile law that need to be addressed by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.

Rethinking Juvenile Justice

Data on juvenile arrests, court processing, and admissions to juvenile correctional facilities offer important information to help rethink juvenile justice policy directions of the last decade. Most striking is the progress in reducing the involvement of status offenders within the juvenile justice system between 1974-1979. Less encouraging is that similar progress was not achieved in the case of delinquent offenders. Moreover, the primary consequence of the removal of status of fenders from the juvenile justice system is the large decline in female admissions to public correctional facilities whereas male admissions were either stable or actually increased from 1974-1979. Also interesting is the levelling off of rates of Part 1 juvenile arrests from 1974-1979: this directly contradicts public perceptions of a steady and alarming increase in serious youth crime.

Federal Juvenile Justice Policy and the Incarceration of Girls

This study examines the impact of federal juvenile justice policy on the incarceration of girls in U.S. public training schools and detention centers. Far fewer girls and boys were confined for status offenses in public training schools and detention centers in 1987 than in 1977. Girls were more likely than boys to be confined for status offenses and less serious delinquency offenses in 1987. The study also reveals striking state by state differences in incarceration practices by gender. The authors present suggestions for juvenile justice policy and research development.

Juvenile detention: The hidden closets revisited

This is the first national study of juvenile detention in more than a decade. The findings indicate that these facilities are undergoing a fundamental and substantial change. The consensus of professional opinion as well as recommendations from national standard-setting bodies indicate that juvenile detention centers should be reserved for those youth who present a clear and substantial threat to the community and who need to be confined until they appear in court. Now these facilities are assuming an added function by serving as short-term commitment options for juvenile court judges. In addition, the study found that the excessive use of detention continues to be a major problem.

The Jailing of Juveniles in Minnesota: A Case Study

Minnesota is nationally recognized for its enlightened criminal justice policies. It was the first state where policymakers implemented a comprehensive system of sentencing guidelines for adults and developed sound policies regarding the use of imprisonment. As a result, Minnesota has one of the lowest rates of incarceration of adults in the country and is one of only a handful of states with prisons that are not severely overcrowded. Unfortunately, the juvenile justice system in Minnesota has not kept pace with the advances in the adult area. For example, Minnesota has one of the highest incarceration rates for juveniles. This is primarily due to the fact that large numbers of young people are committed for relatively short periods of time to county operated training schools. Also, Minnesota is one of the states where large numbers of juveniles are admitted to county jails and municipal lockups each year. This article takes a close look at the problem of the jailing of juveniles in Minnesota and explores the implications for policymakers, juvenile justice professionals, public interest groups, and child advocates.

Infants in Nonpermanent Placement

Nationally, the fastest-growing population in child welfare is infants. This study explores child welfare placement trends for infants initially placed in a nonpermanent living arrangement in Michigan between 1981 and 1987 and examines permanency planning efforts within 4 years of initial placement. Despite policies and service delivery strategies aimed at permanency, the evidence suggests that there is great variation in the extent to which it is achieved. The type of first placement, number of placements, and the impact of gender, race, and geographic region on permanency outcomes are discussed. Policy implications based on these results are presented.