Juvenile Gun Courts: Promoting Accountability and Providing Treatment

• NCJ Number: 187078
• Author(s): David Sheppard; Patricia Kelly
• Date Published: May 2002
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Series
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description

Annotation

This bulletin describes the development of juvenile gun courts and a review of the Jefferson County Alabama Juvenile Gun Court under the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants Program (JAIBG).

Abstract

Responding to the unacceptably high levels of gun violence among youth and the demand to provide appropriate sanctions and program services for young offenders involved in gun crimes, juvenile gun courts were established through Federal legislation under the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants Program (JAIBG). Juvenile gun courts expose youth charged with gun offenses to the ramifications of their involvement in these acts. This bulletin describes the development of juvenile gun courts throughout the United States and provides an illustration and review of the Jefferson County (AL) Juvenile Gun Court supported by OJJDP. The bulletin begins with an overview of the basic juvenile gun court program which includes the key elements of the program, program planning and implementation, and the potential effects of the program. The Jefferson County Juvenile Gun Court builds on this basic model by addressing the problem comprehensively, intensively, and over the long term. The JAIBG program aids the ability of the juvenile justice system to hold young offenders accountable for their behavior. The juvenile gun court encourages accountability by offering an immediate response to gun possession. References