1

HannahRose
KarenWilling
CJS.202.W01
May1,2015
Dispositions
TherearemanydifferentthingsthatcontributetotheUnitedStatesjuvenilejustice
systemthatareallextremelyimportant.Oneofthesefactorsisknownasdispositions.
Dispositionsaredefinedassanctionsresultingfromadelinquencyadjudication(Dean,Merlo
andBenekos30).Therearethreedifferenttypeofdispositionsthatcanbemadeinthissystem.
Theyareasfollowsnominal,conditional,andcustodial.

Dispositionisaphaseofdelinquencyproceedingsimilarto"sentencing"phaseofadult
trial(
"Legal).
Justlikeinanadulttrial,ajudgehastodecidetheappropriateresponsetothe
offencecommitted.However,inanadultcaseajudgeischoosingapunishmentfortheoffender,
butinajuvenilecasethejudgeismorechoosethedispositionthatisgoingtohelpand
rehabilitatethejuvenilethemost.
Nominaldispositionsareadjudicatorydispositionsthatcausethejuveniletohavesmall
consequenceslikeprobationorevenjustawarning(Dean,MerloandBenekos30).Outofallof
thedispositionsthisistheleastpunitiveone(Dean,MerloandBenekos30).Asajuvenilewho
hascommittedanoffence,thiswouldbetheonewishedfor.Afteraverbalwarningand
sometimesprobation,ajuvenileisreleasedtohis/herparentsorlegalguardiantobelookedafter
(Dean,MerloandBenekos30).

Thesedispositionsareusuallyonlyusedonjuvenileswhoarelowriskandfirsttime
offenders(Dean,MerloandBenekos360).Theyareusedtoallowthejuveniletorealizehow
seriousthesituationisandtowarmthemofthepotentialtoreceiveharsherpunishmentsifthey
continuetocommitactsofdelinquency(Dean,MerloandBenekos360).Withthis,thereisoften
noformalrecordoftheincidentthathasoccurred(Dean,MerloandBenekos361).
Juvenilejudgesareencouragedtoimposetheleastrestrictivesanctionsonjuvenileswho
aredelinquent,statusoffenders,orsimplechildreninneedofsupervision(Dean,Merloand
Benekos361).Thisisbecausetheentirejuvenilejusticesystemisbasedonrehabilitationand
solvingtheissueratherthanpunishment
Conditiondispositionsaretheresultofadelinquencyadjudicationobligatingyouthto
complywithoneormoreconditionsofprobationorasimilarprogram(Dean,Merloand
Benekos31).Asthisoneisenforcingprobation,itisthemostcommonlyusedsanction(Dean,
MerloandBenekos31).Probationisusedsooftenitisconsideredthebackboneofthejuvenile
justicesystem(Michon).Theamountoftimeajuvenileisplacedonprobationvariesgreatly.
Theycanbesentencedtoprobationanywherefromseveralmonthstoacoupleyears(Dean,
MerloandBenekos31).
Ontopofprobation,ajuvenilecanbesentencedtocertainprogramsbasedonhis/her
personalneeds(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).Forexample,isapersonwascaughtforunderage
drinkingtheycouldbemadetoattendAAmeetings.Orifapersonwascaughtusingdrugs
he/shecouldbesenttoarehabilitationprogram.
Restorativejusticeisoftenusedinthisdispositionandisthemeditationbetweenvictims
andoffenderswherebyasuitablesanctionisimposedandagreedtobyoffenderand

victim(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).Thisissomethingthatisusedwhentheoffense
committedwasagainstanotherpersonsuchasahouserobbery.Itcanalsobeusedifthejuvenile
vandalizedsomeoneelsesproperty.Acouplebigreasonsrestorativejusticeisusedarebecauseit
makesthejuvenilebeandfeelforresponsiblefortheirownactions,itpromotespublicsafety
andprotection,anditimprovescharacterdevelopmenttohelpjuvenilesbecomeresponsible
adults(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).
Inconditionaldispositionsdependingonthetypeofoffensecommittedandtheoffenders
themselvesspecialrequirementsmightbemadewhileonprobation.Forexample,offenderswho
havebehavioraldisordersmightbeputundermoreintensivesupervisionontheirprobation
(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).Anotherexampleiswhenoffendershaveahigherriskof
recidivismtheymighthavetoundergoelectronicmonitoringandorhousearrestaspartoftheir
probation(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).
Forallprobation,theexacttermsandconditionsoftheprobationarefiguredout
specificallyforeachcasebythejudgeandtheprobationstaff(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).
However,therearesomestandardrequirementsthatapplytomostjuvenilesprobationandthey
areasfollowsobeyingthelaw,attendingschool,maintainingemployment,reportingtothe
probationofficer,attendingvocationaltrainingoreducationcourses,appearingatsubsequent
courthearings,avoidingtheuseofdrugsoralcohol,andrefrainingfrompossessingdangerous
weapons(Dean,MerloandBenekos31).
Thelasttypeofdispositionisknownascustodialdispositions.Theseareeither
nonsecureofsecureoptionsresultingfromadelinquencyadjudication(Dean,Merloand
Benekos32).Ifachildisplacedinnonsecurecustodytheymaybeplacedinsheltercare,foster

homes,grouphomes,camps,orranches(Dean,MerloandBenekos32).Anonsecurefacilityis
definedas
afacilitywhichprovidesitsresidentsaccesstothesurroundingcommunityand
whichdoesnotrelyprimarilyontheuseofphysicallyrestrictingconstructionandhardwareto
restrictfreedom(Legal...).Placementinthesefacilitiesareonlyshorttermandaremeantto
findapermanentsolution
(Dean,MerloandBenekos32).
Incustodialdispositionsjuvenilescanalsobeplacedinsecurefacilities.Theseare
definedas,theincarcerationofjuvenileoffenderinfacilitythatrestrictsmovementin
communitysimilartoanadultpenalfacilityinvolvingtotalincarceration
(Dean,Merloand
Benekos32).Placementifoneoftheseplacesisusuallyconsideredalastresortforonlythemost
seriousofoffenders(Dean,MerloandBenekos32).Thisisalastresortbecausethereisafear
thatlivingwithotherdelinquentswillmakeajuvenilemorelikelytocommitmoreoffenses,and
soovercrowdingislesslikelytooccur(Dean,MerloandBenekos32).
Placementinasecurefacilityisusuallyforamuchlongertimethanifajuvenileis
placedinanonsecurefacility.Ajuvenilecanstayinasecurefacilityforyearsiftheyare
highrisk,serious,andrepeatoffenders(Michon).Thesecanbesecurelockupfacilitiesandare
sometimescalledcamps(Michon).
Someminorsaresenttodetentionfacilitiesinthisdisposition.
Securedjuvenile
detentionfacilityreferstoanyfacilityusedforthesecuredetentionofchildren(Legal).
Thesefacilitiesareneverplacedwhereanadultwouldbeheld,suchasprison,theyarestrictly
forjuveniles(Legal).Afterbeingreleasedfromadetentionfacilityaminorcanbe
sentencedtoprobation(Michon).Thisismuchlikehowanadultcanbesentencedtoparoleafter
leavingprison.

Insomeveryrarecasesjuvenilescanbehandedovertotheadultcourtsandnotbe
handedadispositionatall.Inthiscase,ajuvenilewouldbegivenasentencejustlikeanadult
would.Afterthejuvenileisconvictedofacrimeinanadultcourtapresentencinginvestigation
takesplacetohelpthejudgepickanappropriatesentence(How..).Afterthisthejudgewillset
adateforsentencingandthensentencethejuvenileaccordingtothecrimecommitted.Thiswill
onlyhappenifthejuvenilecommittedaveryseriouscrimeand/orisarepeatoffender.An
exampleofthiswouldbeiftheoffendercommittedmurderorcommittedseveralrobberies.
Dispositionhearingsarealsolikesentencinghearingsinthewaythatthedefendantcan
speak(Izzi).Atthesehearings,thejuvenileandthejuvenilesaternityareallowedtopresent
anythingtheythinkwillhelpthejudgemakeadecisionmoreintheirfavor(Izzi).However,the
victimisalsoallowedtomakestatementsforthejudgetohear(Izzi).Thisisnotgoodforthe
juvenilebecausethevictimcouldpersuadethejudgetoimposeaharderdispositiononthe
offender.
Inconclusion,therearethreedifferenttypesofdispositionsusedinthejuvenilejustice
system.Thesedispositionsaremuchlikesentencinginanadultcourt.Thereareoften,butnot
always,hearingstofigureouttherightdispositiontouse.Whennominaldispositionsareused
thereareusuallynothearingsbecausethejuvenileissimplygivenawarningandandreleased
intothecareofaparentorguardian.Inthecasethatthereisahearingthejuvenileandthevictim
havetherighttobringupfactstothejudgeinhopestopersuadethatdispositionthejudge
choosestouse.
Thethreedifferenttypesarenominal,conditional,andcustodial.Innominaldisposition,
juvenilesareoftenrealisedwithjustawarning.Thisistodiscouragehim/herfromcommitting

anymoreactsofdelinquency.Conditionalisusedthemostandinvolvesprobation.Thereare
severaldifferentrequirementsthatgointoprobationanddependontheoffencecommittedand
theoffenderthemselves.However,therearecertainrequirementsthatareusedinmostcases
whenprobationisused.Thelasttypeisknownascustodialandinvolvessecureornonsecure
lockup.Thisisusedasalastresulttopreventovercrowdingandforthefearthatrooming
delinquentswithotherdelinquentswillencouragethemtocommitmoreactsofdelinquency.

WorksCited
Champion,DeanJ.,AlidaV.Merlo,andPeterJ,Benekos.TheJuvenileJusticeSystem:
Delinquency,Processing,andtheLaw.7thed.Boston:Pearson,2013.Print.29.Apr.
2015.
"HowCourtsWork."AmericanBarAssociation.ABA,2015.Web.30Apr.2015.
"LegalDefinitions&LegalTermsDefined."USLegal.USLegalInc.,2001.Web.30Apr.2015
Michon,Kathleen."JuvenileCourtSentencingOptions|Nolo.com."NoloLawforAll.Nolo,
2015.Web.29Apr.2015.
Izzi,Matthew."WhatIsaJuvenileDispositionHearing?"JuvenileDispositionHearing.Legal
Match,10Sept.2014.Web.01May2015.