Delays in Youth Justice

After reviewing the literature on court processing delays and the types of delay most characteristic of delinquency cases in juvenile and family courts, this study presents the results of three case studies of juvenile courts in the American Midwest, each of which used a different approach in reducing juvenile court delays. The three case studies – which were conducted in Hamilton County, OH; Kent County, MI.; and Peoria County, IL. – point to two common themes critical for success in controlling case-processing times. First, success in addressing court delay requires a court culture that is committed to case management. In all three jurisdictions, staff members take pride in their efforts to reduce delay, which facilitates the successful implementation of whatever case management system has been implemented. Second, routine and shared communication is vital for any successful case management system regardless of the level of automation. All three courts generate regular reports that illustrate and compare case-processing timeliness, often between courtrooms and judges. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to case management. The best case management systems are tailored to fit each individual court. Dataset archived in the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD).

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