Juvenile Drug Court Program Admission Demeanor an

Authors: J C Barnes J Mitchell Miller Holly V Miller Chris Gibson

Publish Date: 2008/07/16

Volume: 33, Issue: 2, Pages: 166-

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Abstract

The influence of demeanor in criminal justice research has predominantly centered on arrest and sanctioning outcomes This study examines demeanor at the juncture of juvenile drug court admission by attributing behavior perceived to be favorable or unfavorable to program compliance and success to either juveniles or their parents/guardians Analysis of 76 juvenile drug court case files enabled examination of how parent and child demeanor impacts specialty court admission Findings suggest that program admittance ie system leniency through diversion is largely a function of projected attitude and behavior during screening interviews but selection decisions are made irrespective of demeanor source Implications of the findings for drug court processes and continued system involvement are discussed

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