The Transformative Justice Project of Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware

What Really Works and What Doesn’t - Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
Legal Representation of Juveniles
Low funding for juvenile defense attorneys has placed an additional strain on many states already
overburdened by their caseloads. In Louisiana's New Orleans Juvenile Court System, for example, a staff
of seven defense attorneys (six of which work part time) handles over 4,800 cases a year. Many of the
accused juveniles, after receiving only minutes of legal counsel, are encouraged to plead guilty to reduce
their sentences. The situation is worse outside of New Orleans; throughout the rest of the state fewer than
half of juvenile defendants even meet with an attorney. While, the advised "guilty" plea often allows for
the juveniles to be convicted on "misdemeanor" charges - and thus receive lighter penalties than they
would receive if, tried guilty, they were convicted on "felony" charges - a "misdemeanor" conviction will
remain on a juvenile's record and count against him should he face charges again.
"Well Adjusted" Juvenile Criminals
Many are searching for an explanation for the rise in violent crime, drug use, and gang involvement in
provincial, 'small towns' across the nation. Most states view the rise in crime among its youth frightening,
in part, because the 'safe' environment found in many sub-urban environments is something parents across
America have often hoped to model in their own communities. Sub-urban neighborhoods and local
schools have traditionally been thought of as childhood utopias that rear healthy citizens. Latent behind
school programs, family diners, and calm country
settings, however, was a propensity toward crime
normally assumed to be a trait of 'distant' inner
cities. Across American communities, both the
number and severity of juvenile crime cases have
increased dramatically in recent years. The
absence of substantial motive, along with the
intensity of violence associated with many recent
homicide cases has been quite shocking. Recent
events have called for a reevaluation of American
assumptions on what situations 'create' criminals.
It is now commonly believed that American
adults must act to rid US culture of elements that
have thwarted a healthy uniting of children with
their communities. In an effort to sell products, advertisers, for example, have researched and "exploited"
motifs that captivate and stimulate youth, creating scenarios charged with "hyper sexuality, aggression,
addiction, coldness, and irony-laced civic disaffection." Though juvenile crime cannot be reduced to the
effects of the media, one writer makes the point that such advertising has "seeded" a youth culture that is
enthralled with violence and detached from the effects of crime. Many young people do not receive the
encouragement they need from adults to help them narrow in on their individual talents and experience
confidence-giving success. The writer suggests that adults battle the growing separation between
juveniles and their communities with a campaign of "sustained mentoring."
The Transformative Justice Project of Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware)
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