Bureau of Justice Statistics

Abstract

In 1982, a national report examining law and policy for juvenile justice records concluded that the public's faith in the potential for rehabilitating juvenile offenders had eroded. To understand better the nature of juvenile crime, it was suggested that data surrounding this issue be systematically collected. Some of that information effort is reported here. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the status of juvenile justice records and information systems as of the mid-1990s. It also offers an analysis of related information and privacy issues. The text is divided into five parts. Part 1 recaps juvenile crime statistics, including the frequency and severity of these crimes. In part 2, the development of the rehabilitative ideal and the establishment of the juvenile court system is detailed. Because the public's shaken confidence in rehabilitating delinquents resulted in more youth being placed with adult criminals, part 3 of this report looks at the results of this move. Part 4 reviews the law and policy issues relevant to the dissemination of juvenile records, and part 5 looks at the current state of juvenile justice recordkeeping. The booklet concludes with a discussion of juvenile justice trends and the integration of juvenile and adult records. (Juvenile Justice timeline and Bureau of Justice statistics report included.) (RJM) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics