CTJJA | Resource Details: Report: A Sensible Model for Juvenile Justice, Summer 2008

The Youth Transition Funders Group argues that the current juvenile justice system addresses the causes, rather than the effects of crime and focuses too much attention on mental health, substance abuse, and family therapy, therefore ignoring the majority of the juvenile population who commit crimes because of the normal tendency of youth to defy authority, thrill-seek, and become involved in social environments that are accepting of illegal behavior. In order to reform the JJ system, implementing a theoretically-oriented model to provide early interventions for juveniles, namely Positive Youth Development (PYD), is recommended in order to address the full range of delinquent behaviors and help youth access basic, supportive resources, develop positive relationships with adults and other members of their community, and promote pro-social engagement in society.

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