NCJ Number
241470
Date Published
April 2011
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This fact sheet, which is derived from the longer report, "Finding Direction: Expanding Criminal Justice Options by Considering Policies of Other Nations," reviews the juvenile justice policies of the United States compared with those of the following nations: Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom (England and Wales).
Abstract
Although the United States founded the juvenile court at the turn of the 20th century, serving as a model for other nations, the principles of rehabilitation and age-appropriate responses that initially guided the juvenile court at its outset have been severely eroded; this is reflected in the number of youth held in secure facilities, tried as adults, held in adult jails, and given life sentences without parole. Serving time in a juvenile facility in the United States has been found to be a risk factor for later involvement in the adult criminal justice system, as well as a number of other negative social outcomes. U.S. policy tends to first find fault in the youth for committing a crime, but other nations tend to ask why the crime was committed and what services can and should be provided to help the youth have positive life outcomes. Finland and Germany, in particular, take a different approach to youth who have committed an offense. Finland focuses on a welfare approach, using "Care Orders" that connect youth to social services and supports. In 2007, only three people under 18 years old were in custody. Germany, instead of using detention for youth, uses "educative and disciplinary measures" that provide social and economic supports as well as reparation for harms causes by the offense. Innovative and promising juvenile justice reforms in the U.S. juvenile justice system are outlined. The focus is on research-based, cost-effective strategies for reducing the detention and incarceration of youth while increasing the number and diversity of community-based programs tailored to the demographic characteristics and criminogenic needs of each youth. 22 notes