Reconsidering Child Saving The Extent and Correlates of Public Support for Excluding Youths From the Juvenile Court

    Authors

    B. K. Applegate; R. K. Davis;F. T. Cullen

    Comments

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    Abstract

    The 1990s saw concerted legislative efforts to increase the mechanisms through which juveniles could be transferred to the adult court. Beginning research exists on how the public feels about transferring youths out of the juvenile justice system, but it is somewhat dated and does little to illuminate the reasons people support transfer. Using a statewide sample and factorial survey design, this study assesses how public views are related to multiple factors, including offense and offender characteristics, views on the appropriate aims of juvenile sentencing, perceptions of juvenile maturity, and expectations about the results of transferring juvenile cases to the adult criminal justice system. Our findings suggest that people want transfer used sparingly and selectively and that support is greatest when they believe that the adult system can provide effective rehabilitation as well as punishment. Implications are discussed.

    Journal Title

    Crime & Delinquency

    Volume

    55

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    First Page

    51

    Last Page

    77

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000261243400003

    ISSN

    0011-1287

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