Juvenile Justice Publications

Juvenile Justice Newsletter - In Re

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A Prosecutor’s Guide to Psychological Evaluations and Competency Challenges in Juvenile Court

This monograph is divided into three parts, with appendices. Part I covers the basics of psychological evaluations, including a discussion of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the “bible” of mental illness diagnosis. Part II addresses the emerging issue of competency to stand trial and competency to waive Miranda rights. Part III addresses preparation for examination of an expert witness. In Appendix I the reader will find a discussion of the Benchmarks of Adolescent Development, essential information for a prosecutor and any expert witness who assesses a juvenile’s behavior. Appendix II is an example of IQ scores in an evaluation report, with a discussion of the significance of the subtest results.

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Animal Cruelty Prosecution
Opportunities for Early Response to Crime and Interpersonal Violence

Successful prosecution of crimes against animals often requires specialized knowledge not only of the relevant laws, but also of veterinary medicine,veterinary forensics, animal care and the practices used in organized crimes against animals such as dogfighting and cockfighting. Animal care and control agencies, humane societies and Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCAs) and veterinary associations can be important allies to prosecutors in successfully pursuing animal cruelty cases. This monograph will serve as an aid to prosecutors seeking resources and services to assist in their efforts to prosecute these crimes.

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Measuring What Really Matters in Juvenile Justice

While measurement is not new to juvenile justice, too often data collected by juvenile justice agencies have been unrelated to outcomes, and have seldom allowed the public to assess performance in a meaningful way. This monograph presents a case for utilizing a system of performance outcomes and measures for juvenile justice systems developed by a partnership between the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), the Balanced and Restorative Justice Project (BARJ) (Community Justice Institute, Florida Atlantic University), and the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ). Funding was provided by a congressional earmark administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

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Guide to Developing and Implementing Performance Measures for the Juvenile Justice System

In 2003, the U.S. Congress directed the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to fund the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), the Criminal Justice Institute’s Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) Project at Florida Atlantic University, and the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) to carry out a national project to demonstrate that it is both possible and valuable to measure the performance of juvenile justice systems.

APRI and its partners developed a set of performance measures to help ensure accountability of the juvenile justice system to citizens.

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A Prosecutor’sGuide to the Juvenile Delinquency Guidelines

National standards, policy positions, and guidelines serve to alert and inform practitioners in a given field. They describe basic principles and specific policies. This publication compares selected juvenile justice positions taken by three leading national organizations: the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), and the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), the non-profit research, training, and technical assistance affiliate of NDAA.

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National Prosecution Standards

The National Prosecution Standards are professional standards written for prosecutors by prosecutors. Although the National Prosecution Standards provides ethical, procedurals, and substantive guidance for prosecutors, they are not limited in scope or subject matter to those things that are under the direct control of the prosecutor. These standards can be used by prosecutors to demonstrate issues and serve as persuasion before courts, legislatures, and other governing bodies.

The Standard for Juvenile Justice, section 92.1-92.7 and the commentary the follows (pgs. 249-265), is aimed at promoting justice in juvenile delinquency cases. It emphasizes the prosecutor’s duty to provide for the safety and welfare of the community and victims while at the same time, considering the special interests and needs of juveniles without compromising that primary duty. The standard accepts the premise that a separate court for most juvenile delinquency cases continues to be an indispensable alternative to the adult court.

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Juvenile Delinquency and Community Prosecution

New Strategies for Old Problems - This monograph provides a brief explanation of community prosecution, an overview of the potential interface between community prosecution and juvenile justice, a discussion of the legal and systemic issues that APRI uncovered during its site visits, a review of some common issues identified between community prosecution and juvenile justice, and a brief comparison of community prosecution to another emerging juvenile justice philosophy, balanced and restorative justice.

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Bringing Balance to Juvenile Justice

November 2002

Balanced consideration of community protection, offender accountability and competency development brings clarity and reason to juvenile justice issues. This comprehensive philosophy speaks to every aspect of delinquency, punishment, treatment and prevention. These three principles, fully implemented, create a juvenile justice system that truly operates in the best interest of the child and the community.

Children With Disabilities in Juvenile Court

IDEA and the Juvenile Prosecutor - Remembering that the problem Congress intended to address when it enacted the IDEA and its predecessor statutes was the wholesale expulsion of disabled children from the education system by labeling them as behavior problems or delinquents, a certain level of sensitivity by juvenile prosecutors to the goals of the IDEA is appropriate—maybe required.That statute, however, particularly after the 1997 IDEA Amendments, does not exempt a child with disabilities from state laws governing juvenile delinquency or from the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts. From the perspective of a juvenile prosecutor, there should be no conflict between a statutory and regulatory scheme that seeks to maximize educational opportunities for disabled youths and a juvenile justice system that seeks to balance the need for community safety, offender accountability, and competency development.

Disproportionate Minority Confinement - Practical Solutions for Juvenile Justice Professionals

No topic in the field of juvenile justice can generate heated discussion, or polarize an otherwise cohesive group of people more quickly than disproportionate minority confinement (DMC). Whether rooted in prejudice, denial, fear or simple lack of information, people have a visceral and often defensive response when presented with this issue. Hostility and reluctance to engage in the discussion only perpetuates the problem.

Juvenile Justice Policy Positions at a Glance

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Resource Manual and Policy Positions on Juvenile Crime Issues

The purpose of this document is to provide assistance to local prosecutors throughout our nation by identifying and discussing important policy issues affecting juvenile crime with special emphasis on dealing with serious, violent and habitual offenders. This document is intended as a resource manual for prosecutors.

School Crime and School Resource Officers

November 2002

The legal and law enforcement issues arising out of the school environment are among the most important for juvenile prosecutors to master. While recent statistics indicate that most serious violent crime against juveniles occurs away from school campuses, most other crimes occur as frequently or more frequently at schools, where children and adolescents still spend a substantial portion of their day.