Juv exam Flashcards
Goals of Diversion Programs
Diversion programs aim to redirect individuals from the justice system.
Primary goals:
Reducing future delinquency.
Decreasing juvenile presence and depth within the system.
Alleviating the justice system’s resource burdens.
Diversity of Diversion Programs
Diversion programs vary in:
Population served and eligibility criteria.
Formality—ranging from informal to court-supervised.
Intensity—differing levels of intervention.
Evaluations—methods to measure effectiveness and outcomes.
Define Net Widening
Net widening refers to the unintended increase in youth entering the justice system through well-intentioned programs.
It occurs when interventions are applied to juveniles who normally wouldn’t enter the system, inadvertently increasing system contact.
Implications of Net Widening for Diversion Programs
Strains system resources, limiting effective intervention.
Inappropriate application to low-risk youth and families.
Increases police and juvenile casework, diluting focus on high-need cases.
Ideal Candidate for Diversion Programs
Best suited for youth who would otherwise be formally processed.
Low-risk individuals, such as first-time offenders or those with misdemeanor offenses.
Those at risk of receiving harsher sanctions like arrest or detention.
Challenges in Identifying Ideal Candidates
Diverse interpretations and implementations of diversion across jurisdictions.
Discretion of police and intake officers raises issues of potential error and bias.
Factors like race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic context influence diversion likelihood and application.
Civil Citation Program Function and Purpose
Alternative to arrest for non-serious misdemeanors, allowing police discretion.
Aims to divert first-time, low-level offenders from the juvenile justice system early on.
Reduces contact with the system and mitigates the stigma of an arrest record.
Focuses the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice resources on serious offenders.
Civil Citation Utilization in Florida
Initially used in select counties pre-2011, with arrest records and post-arrest diversion.
Miami-Dade’s program diverted first-time misdemeanor juveniles after arrest.
2011: State Statute 985.12 defined civil citation, providing implementation guidelines without resulting in an arrest record.
2012: FDJJ’s “Roadmap to System Excellence” aimed to prevent system entry, increase detention alternatives, shift front-end resources, and optimize residential bed use.
Barriers to Civil Citation Utilization
County-specific exclusions like domestic violence.
Inconsistent application and fidelity of civil citations across counties.
Law enforcement buy-in challenges due to “tough-on-crime” policies.
Education efforts like roadshows to improve understanding.
High turnover among personnel affecting program familiarity.
Impact of Civil Citation on Youth Recidivism
Civil citation significantly reduces recidivism: 50% lower at 6 months, 30% at 3 years.
The initial referral has a lasting effect on decreasing the likelihood of re-arrest.
Dispositions for Civil Citation-Eligible Offenses
Assigned community service.
Various interventions including family counseling and substance abuse services.
Required restitution for damages.
Academic performance monitoring.
Discretion in Diversion Programs & Complications
Police and intake officers have significant discretion in case outcomes.
Errors and biases may affect intervention decisions.
Inappropriate or missed interventions can have negative effects on youth trajectories.
Police may influence diversion participation, akin to plea bargaining.
Discretion can lead to racial/ethnic disparities and is influenced by political or school pressures.
Diversion and Civil Citation Program Criticisms
Potential coercion into admission of guilt by officials.
Diversion refusal may lead to harsher sanctions, especially for minor offenses.
Discretion in program use leads to racial and living disparities.
Program focus on the offense rather than offender-specific needs.
Implementation challenges include stringent requirements and service quality.
Education and Delinquency Connection
Hirschi’s social bond theory links strong social bonds with reduced misbehavior.
Studies show low academic achievement and weak school bonds increase delinquency risk.
Delinquency can negatively impact school performance and lower college attendance chances
Education-Delinquency: Methodological Challenges
Studies conflict on whether academic performance-delinquency links are due to other factors.
Longitudinal studies indicate delinquency might result from pre-existing adversities.
Large, rigorous longitudinal methods are needed to clarify cause-effect relationships.
Types of Educational Engagement
Behavioral: Participation in academic and extracurricular school activities.
Emotional: Positive feelings towards educational processes and people involved (teachers, peers).
Cognitive: Effort and willingness to invest mental energy in academic tasks.
School Achievement & Delinquency Relationship
Low academic achievement correlates with increased delinquency and lower educational and occupational attainment.
Delinquency can lead to poorer academic outcomes, weaker school bonds, and reduced graduation rates.
Underlying factors may include disruptive behaviors, family dynamics, socioeconomic status, and cognitive skills.
Interactional theory suggests a reciprocal impact between school attachment and delinquency
Prevention’s Role in Education & Delinquency
Educational programs can boost academic performance, reducing delinquency by strengthening school attachment.
Comer’s Program integrates community and mental health support to improve school climate.
Quality education for incarcerated youth under No Child Left Behind can reduce recidivism.
Academic challenges and engagement are key in diverting youth from delinquent behaviors.
School to Prison Pipeline Definition
School-related issues can initiate a student’s first interaction with the criminal justice system.
Schools contribute to this by having School Resource Officers arrest students on campus, leading to juvenile justice involvement.
Components of School to Prison Pipeline
Zero Tolerance Policies leading to mandatory suspensions.
School Resource Officers’ role in student arrests, influencing juvenile justice involvement.
Racial disparities in discipline and arrests within schools.
Direct correlation between school discipline and juvenile justice system entry.
Efforts by school districts and the Education Department to reform discipline practices.
Minimizing Educational Disruption in Juvenile Justice
Community-based placements under No Child Left Behind encourage educational continuity.
Restorative justice programs help maintain school engagement and strengthen community ties.
Decision points like referrals and detention significantly impact educational outcomes.
Aizer and Doyle’s study indicates that secure detention correlates with lower high school graduation rates and higher adult incarceration.
Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
ACEs include traumatic events in childhood that increase the risk for chronic disease and delinquency.
Types: Emotional/physical/sexual abuse, neglect, household challenges.
Trauma affects youth’s emotional, social, and biological development, raising delinquency risk.
Trauma can disrupt coping mechanisms, leading to behaviors that increase delinquency risk.
Trauma Informed Care (TIC) Purpose and Definition
TIC is a holistic approach for treating trauma-exposed youth throughout organizational levels.
Aims to improve trauma awareness, enhance treatment environments, and prevent further trauma.
Definitions and core elements of TIC vary, with multiple domains and practices identified.
Trauma Informed Care (TIC) Policies and Practices in FLDJJ
TRACE program assesses and improves TIC in residential programs.
Uses self-assessment surveys and Champion’s Teams for TIC development.
FLDJJ utilizes tools from Chadwick Trauma-Informed Systems and THRIVE for readiness and agency assessment.
Justification & Criticisms of Early Juvenile Justice System”
Originated from belief in spiritual causes of crime, leading to harsh penalties.
Children under 7 exempt from criminal sanctions; older children judged by potential for criminal intent.
Early American system used public, harsh punishments to maintain order.
Enlightenment and population growth led to reevaluation of crime and punishments.
Progressive Era saw shift towards understanding social causes of crime and rehabilitation focus.
Criticisms of Early Juvenile Justice Courts
Early courts criticized for due process neglect and discrimination.
Services didn’t align with treatment needs, often driven by court bureaucracy.
Landmark cases: Kent v. U.S., In Re Gault, In Re Winship, McKeiver v. Pennsylvania, and Breed v. Jones established due process rights for juveniles.
Parens Patriae in Juvenile Justice
The court assumes a parental role, stepping in when other institutions fail.
Focuses on rehabilitation, not just punishment, for youth offenders.
Advocates for intervention to guide youth towards productive futures, even for minor offenses.
1990s & 2000s Reforms in FL Juvenile Justice System
FDJJ established in 1994 amid calls for harsher juvenile punishment.
1990 Juvenile Justice Act focused on individual needs and community-oriented systems.
1994 Reform Act restructured state agencies for better juvenile justice management.
2000 “Tough Love” legislation introduced mandatory sentences for firearm crimes by youth.
Florida DJJ Service Areas and Functions
Department of Children and Families: Manages child care and public assistance for dependent families.
Department of Juvenile Justice: Handles all aspects of the state’s juvenile delinquency.
Juvenile Justice Advisory Board: Monitors DJJ activities, ensuring a smooth transfer of functions from HRS.
Juvenile Justice Information System: Tracks youth and administers programs.
Substance abuse and mental health services are spread across multiple departments including Health, DCF, and DJJ.
Risk Needs Responsivity (RNR) Model
Aligns offender treatment to risk level, addressing criminogenic needs to reduce recidivism.
Risk Principle: Service level matches re-offense risk.
Need Principle: Targets dynamic factors linked to criminal behavior.
Responsivity Principle: Adapts intervention to offender’s learning style and abilities, using cognitive-behavioral methods.
Juvenile Justice Assessment Tools in Florida
DRAI: Assists with pretrial detention decisions, public safety, and flight risk assessment.
CAT: Evaluates delinquent youth’s risks/needs, offers treatment guidance, includes protective factors.
RAY: Identifies criminogenic needs in residential settings, informs individualized plans to reduce re-offense risk.
PAT: Determines prevention youth’s risks/needs across 12 domains, connects them to services.
PACT/C-PACT: Actuarial risk/needs assessment tool, prioritizes criminogenic needs, integrates them into case plans.
Needs Matching in FLDJJ
Identifies youth’s criminogenic needs; aligns with suitable interventions.
Ensures care level matches needs, fostering positive outcomes.
Research-Practice Partnerships: Strengths & Limitations
Strengths include expanded research capacity, specialized knowledge, objective insights, resource access, fostering long-term relationships, and bridging theory-practice gaps.
Limitations involve communication barriers, time constraints, divergent goals, and potential issues with external validity.
Practitioners in Research-Practice Partnerships: Strengths & Limitations
Strengths: Contextual understanding, practical relevance, implementation skills, policy insights, community rapport.
Limitations: Research knowledge gaps, time restrictions, aversion to change, potential biases, resource scarcity.
Researcher-Practitioner Models: Strengths & Limitations
Publicly Accessible Data: Transparent and easy, but may lack research suitability.
Research-Practitioner Partnerships: Improves policy translation, yet may lack empirical detail.
Pracademics: Enhances community relations, limited by availability and police receptivity.
Embedded Academic: Offers real-time insights, sustainability, and long-term impact are concerns.
Decision Points Informed by RNR Model
Custodial: Tailors community-based or residential custody, adjusts security levels.
Supervision: Defines check-in frequency, curfew, monitoring methods.
Treatment: Selects service types and intensity, decides on treatment location, ensures service accessibility
