NCJ Number
160338
Date Published
1994
Length
57 pages
Annotation
Based on the submissions of 37 State attorney general offices, this paper presents individual State programs, legislation, and laws pertinent to various aspects of juvenile offenses and juvenile justice.
Abstract
Under various topics, this paper briefly describes laws, legislation, and programs for each State pertinent to the topic. The narrative descriptions summarize legislative and program provisions. The legislation and programs pertinent to schools are designed to combat school violence, with the trend being to create safe-school zones and criminalize possession of weapons on school property. The prohibition of juvenile gun possession has been a top priority in juvenile justice reform in the past year. A number of States have passed laws or have pending legislation that make both possession of a firearm by a minor and providing or selling a firearm to a minor a felony. Because gang violence has been an increasing problem in the 1990's, a number of States have targeted this problem, with a trend toward increasing the punishment for criminal gang activities. A number of States have enacted laws or have pending legislation that establish juvenile curfews. The trend has been to write curfew legislation that complies with the Federal court's ruling in Quib v. Strauss (1993). Many States have considered, or are considering, trying as adults juveniles charged with specified crimes. The trend has been to allow or mandate that States transfer minors who are 14 or 15 and older charged with a violent crime to adult court for criminal prosecution. Other laws, legislation, and programs described in this paper pertain to alternative punishments; confidentiality of records; fingerprinting and photographing; court reforms and other structural changes; juvenile justice task forces, commissions, and other groups; and juvenile justice contacts.