Peter J. Benekos

Juvenile Justice The Legacy of Punitive Policy

Although the future of juvenile justice policy is uncertain, the impact of policies from the 1990s is clear: Despite declining juvenile crime rates, the adultification of youth continues to include punitive and exclusionary sanctions. Attitudes toward offenders are ambivalent, but there is evidence that legislators and the public are reluctant to abandon the punitive policies of the 1990s. Simultaneously, there are indications of more enlightened approaches to juvenile justice. In this context, the authors review the state of juvenile justice policy and review trends in waiver and sentencing.

Ensuring Quality in Criminal Justice Education: Academic Standards and the Reemergence of Accreditation

In 2005, the Executive Board of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences approved policies and procedures for the academic certification of criminal justice and criminology programs. Academic certification is anticipated to lead to a rebirth of accreditation which was first initiated in the mid‐1970s and abandoned shortly thereafter as a means to redress the quality concerns in criminal justice education. This article highlights the general use of accreditation and standards as a means to ensure quality in higher education. The emergence and growth of criminal justice/criminology programs, questions regarding quality, the development and implementation of academic standards, and the record of initiatives in preparing for accreditation in criminal justice education are explored. The authors review issues and obstacles in the evolution of criminal justice standards and discuss the impact and importance of academic review to the pursuit of quality in criminal justice higher education. The authors examine the salient contribution of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education in establishing a compliance review process for criminal justice programs and the promise of accreditation as a vehicle for ensuring quality in criminal justice education.

A preliminary study of student attitudes on juvenile justice policy

The philosophy and practice of juvenile justice have experienced significant transformations in the last 100 years. A shift to “get tough” attitudes has prompted various legislative reforms and has changed if not hardened attitudes toward youth. In context of these policy developments and social attitudes, this paper summarizes a preliminary study of 1104 undergraduate students on their attitudes on juvenile justice policies in the United States. Student perceptions of school violence, and attitudes toward zero tolerance and drug testing are reported. The authors discuss the responses of criminal justice majors and consider the implications of their academic experience on knowledge and attitudes about juvenile justice.

Is Punitive Juvenile Justice Policy Declining in the United States? A Critique of Emergent Initiatives

The authors examine emergent policies in juvenile justice that suggest a softening of the get-tough legislation of the 1990s that targeted youthful offenders. In the context of Bernard’s thesis on the cycle of juvenile justice (Bernard, 1992) this article critiques the extreme policy reactions to juvenile violence and considers the impact they had on demonization of youth and expressive justice. The discussion contrasts punitive rhetoric such as zero tolerance with programmes that incorporate restorative principles. The authors propose that a decrease in juvenile crime, dissemination of evidence-based intervention strategies, and fiscal constraints have provided opportunities to de-escalate the punitive response to youthful offenders.

Sex Offender Recidivism Revisited Review of Recent Meta-analyses on the Effects of Sex Offender Treatment

The effectiveness of sex offender treatment programs continues to generate misinformation and disagreement. Some literature reviews conclude that treatment does not reduce recidivism while others suggest that specific types of treatment may warrant optimism. The principal purpose of this study is to update the most recent meta-analyses of sex offender treatments and to compare the findings with an earlier study that reviewed the meta-analytic studies published from 1995 to 2002. More importantly, this study examines effect sizes across different age populations and effect sizes across various sex offender treatments. Results of this review of meta-analyses suggest that sex offender treatments can be considered as “proven” or at least “promising,” while age of participants and intervention type may influence the success of treatment for sex offenders. The implications of these findings include achieving a broader understanding of intervention moderators, applying such interventions to juvenile and adult offenders, and outlining future areas of research.

Defining Juvenile Justice in the 21st Century

Crime and public policy continue to be salient issues in the 21st century. This article reviews juvenile justice policy and examines initiatives that demonstrate positive directions for the future of the juvenile justice system. The authors summarize the history of juvenile justice and review recent developments that warrant further research to demonstrate rational, effective policies and strategies for responding to juvenile delinquency. The influences of ideology, politics, and the media on public policy are discussed, and the authors consider future issues in juvenile justice.

Juvenile Offenders and the Death Penalty: How Far Have Standards of Decency Evolved?

In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that because they are less culpable and less able to deliberate about their behaviors, the execution of mentally retarded offenders exceeded the prevailing standards of decency (Atkins v. Virginia). Based on this rationale, and with increasing concerns over wrongful convictions and the execution of innocent defendants, some questioned whether the Court’s decision could also apply to juvenile offenders. In March 2005, the majority of the justices determined that executing adolescent offenders violated the Eighth Amendment (Roper v. Simmons). This article reviews (a) recent court decisions on the death penalty, (b) citizen and student opinions on juvenile executions, and (c) comparative policies on juvenile executions. The authors also discuss the politics of the death penalty and the consequences of Roper on juvenile justice policy.

Strategies to meet the educational needs of non-traditional graduate students

This paper examines some of the issues involved in offering graduate programs that meet the educational needs of nontraditional graduate students. The strengths and weaknesses of two models—a weekend program and a satellite program—are reviewed, and the impact of technology on these models is discussed. We also make recommendations for developing successful alternative graduate programs. The discussion includes the characteristics of the student population, considerations for course scheduling, use of technology, access to facilities, and the availability of academic resources. A challenge for criminal justice academicians in the twenty-first century is to create an environment both enriching and stimulating for students and faculty members engaged in nontraditional programs.

Youth, Race, and Serious Crime: Examining Trends and Critiquing Policy

In this study, the authors examine trends in juvenile violent offending over a 20-year period and focus specifically on the race of the offender. Although aggregate data indicate the disproportionate representation of Black youth in the juvenile justice system, it is difficult to determine the role that race plays in specific violent offences. By focusing on murder, aggravated assault and robbery, the authors contend that a more complete picture of youthful offending and system responses emerges. The trend data clearly demonstrate continuing disproportionate handling of Black juvenile offenders. Some policy implications are reviewed and future directions are explored.

Adapting Conservative Correctional Policies to the Economic Realities of the 1990s

This article reviews the impact that the punitive, “get tough” policies of the 1980s have had on corrections. With record breaking increases in prison populations, legislators and policy makers have had to confront the realities of fiscal constraints while responding to the conservative agenda on crime. The consequence has been to develop and expand alternatives to incarceration which can be both tough on criminals but cheaper than traditional prison punishment. However, intermediate punishments such as intensive probation, electronic monitoring, and shock incarceration may be widening the correctional net. In reviewing these developments, the authors examine ideologies and consequences, and observe that economic considerations will influence corrections policies in the 1990s.