Describes the function and philosophy of the balanced and restorative justice model for juvenile justice. Presents information on pilot programs using the model.

Presents information on the impact of court procedures on child victims and examines promising strategies designed to reduce the level of trauma they experience.

Describes Congress's attempt, through the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants program, to encourage States to develop and administer sanctions that are accountability based. Defines the concept of accountability and identifies key elements of effective accountability-based programs. Describes exemplary juvenile justice programs and includes contact information for the programs discussed.

Describes what it means to hold juvenile offenders accountable, details the roles of the juvenile court and probation department, and identifies the key elements of programs that promote accountability. Presents examples of exemplary community-based initiatives, including diversion programs, mediation and restitution programs, specialized probation supervision programs, and aftercare programs.

Presents strategies for helping youth make the transition from juvenile justice system settings back to their schools and communities. Discusses the role of interagency information sharing and correctional facility education programs in the transition process; offers guidelines for school enrollment procedures; describes successful programs providing transitional support and educational placement, mentoring, and school-based probation/parole services; and discusses challenges to be addressed in helping former juvenile offenders make successful transitions.

Offers guidance in establishing and operating victim/witness assistance programs in the juvenile justice system. Identifies model programs and provides resources for additional information.

Highlights seven innovative programs for juvenile indigent defense throughout the Nation and explains the importance of effective representation of young people by attorneys with special expertise. Notes that heavy caseloads and widely varied cases can prevent attorneys from presenting youthful offenders with the most effective defense. Discusses programs that enable attorneys to limit caseloads and focus on juvenile clients and that are producing positive results. Also provides contact information for selected juvenile defense programs.

Profiles nearly 1.8 million delinquency cases and 162,000 status offense cases handled by juvenile courts in 1996, providing detailed information on offenses involved, referral sources, detention practices, and dispositions. Also includes demographic characteristics of juveniles and trends from 1987. Copies of Juvenile Court Statistics for 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 are also available.

Profiles more than 1.7 million delinquency cases and 158,000 status offense cases handled by juvenile courts between 1988 and 1997. Provides detailed information on the offenses involved, referral sources, detention practices, and case dispositions. Also includes demographic characteristics of juvenile offenders and describes various trends since 1988.

Examines the implementation of distinctive juvenile justice reforms in three States—Wisconsin's categorical exclusion of 17-year-olds from juvenile court jurisdiction and expansion of juvenile court judges' sentencing authority in Minnesota and New Mexico. Provides descriptive information on the background of the reforms and their legislative, programming, and policy impact on the juvenile and criminal justice systems at the State and local levels.

Presents findings from Juvenile Court Statistics 1996, one in a series of annual reports on cases handled by U.S. courts with juvenile jurisdiction. Indicates that juvenile courts in the United States processed nearly 1.8 million delinquency cases in 1996, which represented a 3-percent increase over the 1995 caseload and a 49-percent increase over the number of cases handled in 1987. Copies of Offenders in Juvenile Court for 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 are also available.

Offers juvenile justice agencies baseline information to help them develop, implement, and enhance teen court programs as a viable alternative for juvenile offenders in their communities. Includes model teen court programs, sample resources for program development and implementation, and sample volunteer and program evaluation resources.

Describes successful strategies implemented by the Seattle Police Department and the King County (WA) Prosecutor's Office that improved the effectiveness of both the police investigation and the prosecution of juvenile firearm offenders. Details the creation of a database to track juvenile firearm offenders and presents statistics on the trends and characteristics of juvenile firearms offenses in King County, WA. Describes methods that improved the efficiency of prosecution efforts, such as vertical prosecution and prosecutor-police partnering.

Presents profiles from the book Second Chances—100 Years of the Children's Court: Giving Kids A Chance To Make a Better Choice, a joint project of the Justice Policy Institute and the Children and Family Justice Center. Includes profiles of 12 individuals who were petitioned into juvenile court as delinquents when they were young and then went on to lead successful lives. Explains that these successful "graduates" of the juvenile justice system credit the second chance provided by the system with helping them turn their lives around.