The Juvenile Court's Administrative Responsibilities

Abstract

The question of administrative responsibilities of juvenile courts has been the subject of discussion by both judges and laymen for many years. While there is considerable variance in practice among the states, the consensus would appear to favor administrative control by the judge of those functions directly related to the judicial process—namely, prehearing investigation and probation supervision—and social agency control of non- judicial functions, such as protective services and delinquency prevention. The juvenile court judge must strive to balance the legal, administrative, and social aspects of his court, so that it will fulfill the purpose for which it was created.