OBJECTIVE The authors surveyed U.S. juvenile mental health courts (JMHCs). METHODS Forty-one were identified in 15 states, and 34 returned surveys; one was completed on the basis of published information. Topics included the court's history, youths served, inclusion and exclusion criteria, the court process, and services provided. RESULTS Half (51%) reported that the juvenile court was resp...

The juvenile court was founded on a rehabilitation model in which competence of the juvenile defendant to undergo criminal process was not an issue. A few juveniles charged with serious crimes such as murder were waived to adult court, but maturity was generally taken into consideration in the waiver decision, and so severely mentally ill, mentally retarded, or very young defendants tended to r...

Although the dispositional options for delinquent youths have diversified over the past 20 years, the debate about the most effective treatment of young offenders continues. This article reviews the existing evaluations of various juvenile corrections alternatives. In contrast to the conclusions of scholars in the late 1970s that "nothing worked" in juvenile corrections, Mark Lipsey's 1992 meta...

Most of the research on adolescents with illegal sexual behaviors (AISB) has focused on males. However, increasing numbers of girls have been coming to the attention of the juvenile courts as a result of illegal sexual behaviors. This article summarizes what is known about the characteristics and treatment needs of girls with AISB. 9 Adolescents With Illegal Sexual Behavior: Current Knowledge B...

In 1976, a study by the Judicial Services Division ofthe Bureau of Indian Affairs concluded that insufficient information is available on Indian tribal courts, suggesting that they have been largely ignored by historians and political scientists alike. By examining a specific court the Oglala Sioux Tribal Court a fuller understanding ofits vital role in the operation ofthe Pine Ridge Indian Res...

t he American Bar Association (ABA) does not publish reviews of sociologic and criminologic research projects, but it does have firm policy egarding the transfer of juveniles into the adult justice ystem. The ABA believes that underage defendants generlly should not be placed in the adult system. Thus, the rowing trend by courts to try minors as adults has tirred deep concern within the associa...

This study examined the system-level effects of implementing a promising treatment for adolescent substance abuse in juvenile drug courts (JDCs). Six JDCs were randomized to receive training in the experimental intervention (contingency management-family engagement [CM-FAM]) or to continue their usual services (US). Participants were 104 families served by the courts, 51 therapists, and 74 JDC ...

In the last decade, a number of states have expanded the jurisdiction of their juvenile courts by increasing the maximum age of jurisdiction to eighteen. Proponents argue that these expansions reduce crime by increasing access to the beneficial features of the juvenile justice system. Critics counter that these expansions risk increasing crime by reducing deterrence. In 2010, Illinois raised th...

Teen Courts provide a forum in which juvenile offenders are sentenced by their peers. This system, based on principles of restorative justice, serves as an alternative to the traditional juvenile justice system. Sentencing options typically include restitution, community service, jury duty, apologies, attendance at educational workshops, and tours of correctional facilities. Previous research h...