What efforts have been taken to reform the juvenile court sentencing system?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Over the past decade, juvenile justice experts and the general public have become aware of the serious juvenile crime rate and of violent acts committed by children. As a result, some law enforcement officials and conservative legislators have demanded the system take a more serious stand with dangerous juvenile offenders. Some jurisdictions have passed mandatory or determinate incarceration sentences for juveniles convicted of serious felonies. Another reform has been to remove status offenders from the juvenile justice system and restrict their entry into institutional programs. Many children who would have been sent to a closed institution are now being placed in community programs instead. Another effort has been to standardize dispositions in juvenile court. Washington State was one of the first to pass determinate sentencing laws for juvenile offenders, and other states have adopted similar statutes. All children found to be delinquent are evaluated on a point system based on their age, prior juvenile record, and type of crime committed. Minor offenders are handled in the community and more serious offenders are subject to standardized institutional penalties.