Prevention and Juvenile Justice
Glossaries

This is Section: D - I

D

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DARE

Drug Abuse Resistance Education

Data

Factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for analysis and planning

Data Analysis

Process of examining data.

Day treatment programs

Court-mandated, community-based corrections programs that juveniles attend in the morning and afternoon. They return home in the evening.

DEA

Drug Enforcement Administration

Decision Support System

An online aide to preventionist providing access to best-practices databases, information libraries and practical tools for report writing, asset mapping and minimum data set management.

Defendant

The person accused of a wrong-doing.

Delinquency prevention programs

Programs and services designed to serve children at risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

Delinquent act

An act, which if committed by an adult, would be a crime.

Delinquent juvenile

A juvenile found to have committed a delinquent act.

Dependent

Anyone under the care of someone else, usually meaning children and youth.

Detention

The temporary custody of juveniles who are awaiting a final court adjudication or disposition; these juveniles are accused of a delinquent offense and require a restricted or secure environment for their own, or the community's safety. The Youth Detention Services Unit in Concord serves this purpose in NH.

Detention Hearing

A judicial hearing, generally required to be held within 24 to 72 hours after a juvenile has been taken into custody; a determination whether there is "probable cause" that the juvenile did commit a delinquent act; a determination whether a court order exists requiring the continued detention of the child, or whether continued detention is required until the adjudicatory hearing.

Determinate Sentencing

A form of sentencing that provides fixed forms of sentences for offenses; a sentencing system that allows the most serious juvenile offenders to be transferred to the adult system to complete their sentence.

Discretionary Grant

A federal term that refers to competitive Project Grant programs. "Discretionary" refers to the judgment of the grant make in approving projects, amount of award, and Project Period.

Discretionary Waiver

A provision that gives juvenile court judges discretion to waive jurisdiction over individual cases involving minors, allowing the juveniles to be prosecuted in adult criminal courts.

Disorderly conduct

Breach of the peace

Disposition

The stage of the juvenile court proceedings in which the juvenile judge decides the most appropriate sanctions for a juvenile who has been adjudicated a delinquent, a status offender, or a dependent.

Dispositional Hearing

A court hearing (similar to a Sentencing Hearing in adult court) when reports, information, and recommendations for the juvenile are reviewed by the juvenile judge to assist in determining the appropriate sanctions for this juvenile; these sanctions can include referrals to community-based programs or placement in a residential facility.

Diversion
(See Court Diversion)

DOEd

Department of Education US DOE or NH DOE

DOJ

Department of Justice US DOJ or NH DOJ

Domain

The spheres of influence in a person's life in which a risk factor or prevention opportunity might occur; namely community, family, school, peer/individual.

Dropout

A public or private school pupil, acting on his/her own volition, no longer attends school.

Drug addiction

The excessive use of a drug, which is frequently accompanied by physical and/or psychological dependence.

Drug Court

Drug Court offers juveniles or adults facing charges for drug use and possession an opportunity to enter into a substance abuse recovery program in lieu or in addition to other sanctions. The requirements of drug court are quite strict. The participants are frequently drug tested and must attend substance abuse recovery meetings and make court appearances regularly. Participants must also abide by all other rules and laws. If the participant successfully completes the conditions set by the drug court judge, they "graduate" from Drug Court, and the original charge may be dismissed, reduced (or set aside), a lesser penalty imposed, or a combination of these.

Drug law violations

Includes unlawful sale, purchase, distribution, manufacture, cultivation, transport, possession, or use of a controlled or prohibited substance or drug or drug paraphernalia, or attempt to commit such acts.

Drunkenness

Offenses relating to intoxication. Driving under the influence is a separate offense.

DSM-IV

The 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association and used as reimbursement criteria by insurance companies.

Due process rights

Constitutional rights that are guaranteed to citizens - whether adult or juvenile - during their contacts with the police, their proceedings in court, and their interactions with the public school.

E

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Early Intervention

An activity or set of activities to which a group is exposed in order to develop protective factors and increase resiliency.

Electronic monitoring

The use of electronic devices such as ankle bracelets and receivers to track youth placed in home detention or in the community; generally for those youth deemed to be of moderate to high risk but who do not require secure detention or confinement to a residential facility; can be used for those youth who are awaiting placement in a very restrictive program.

Emancipation

The legal term describing the point at which parents are no longer responsible for their children and children are no longer answerable to their parents. This is usually at the age of 18; however, emancipation may sometimes occur earlier if and when: the parent and child have agreed to live independently, the child has joined the military, the child has married, or a court has granted an appropriate petition to declare a child emancipated. Emancipation also affects a child's legal rights and responsibilities.

Embezzlement

Misappropriation or misapplication of money or property entrusted to ones care, custody, or control.

Emergency Bed

Refers to the space available in group homes allocated for short-term placement in emergency situations.

Emotionally disturbed offenders

A broad category of youths whose emotional problems interfere with their everyday functioning and whose behaviors bring them into the juvenile justice system.

Entitlement Grant

Grants that are awarded based on pre-set allocation criteria. Grantees are usually expected to submit a full proposal; however, if the application meets the pre-set criteria it will be funded and is not subject to competitive review.

Evaluation

A process of collecting and analyzing information and data in order to assess the operation or impact of a policy, program intervention or procedure.

Evaluation Types:

• Process - asks the question: Was the program implemented correctly and as planned?
• Outcome - asks the question: Did the program achieve the desired results?
• Impact - asks the question: Did the program ultimately change behaviors?

F

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Family Court

In some jurisdictions, such as New York, the family court hears all matters pertaining to juveniles, including delinquency and status offenses.

Family Immunity Doctrine

Legal doctrine preventing non-emancipated children from suing their parents.

Family Purpose Doctrine

Legal doctrine holding parents liable for injuries caused by a child's negligent driving or other actions.

Family therapy

Treating an entire family is a widely used method of dealing with a delinquent's socially unacceptable behavior.

Fast track

A court agreement, based on known information and agreement of all parties, to quickly move the case through the process.

FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Felony

The most serious of criminal-type offenses, classified as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree with 1st degree being the most serious.

Financial restitution

A court-ordered condition of probation in which a juvenile is required to make financial restitution to the victim of his or her crime.

Fine

A court-imposed sanction that requires offenders to pay a monetary penalty for their actions.

Fiscal Agent

The organization that receives and disburses grant funds; it may or may not be the organization that implements the grant activities, program, or project.

Fiscal Year (FY)

A 12-month accounting period at the end of which the books are closed for an agency or governmental unit.

501 C (3)

The section of the tax code that defines nonprofit, charitable (as broadly defined), tax-exempt organization: further defined as public charities, private operating foundations, and private non-operating foundations.

Forgery and counterfeiting

Making, altering, uttering, or possessing, with intent to defraud; anything false in the semblance of that which is true; attempts are also included.

Formula Grant

An allocation of Federal money to States or their subdivision in accordance with specific formulas such as population or crime statistics that have been prescribed by law or administrative regulation. These grants are often considered Entitlement Grants.

Foster Care

Temporary care of children in homes other than their own, usually because of abuse and neglect; funded via Federal-State pass-through monies and arranged by a child welfare agency; usually includes provision of adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, and medical treatment.

Fraud

Fraudulent conversion and obtaining money or property by false pretenses; included are confidence games and bad checks.

G

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Gang

A youth is bound together by mutual interests, has identifiable leadership, and acts in concert to achieve a specific purpose that generally includes the conduct of illegal activity.

General Operating Grant

An Unrestricted Grant that funds the everyday operations of an organization as opposed to specific projects or programs.

Grantee

A Grantee is the recipient of a grant, also known as Donee and Beneficiary; the legal entity to which a grant is awarded and which is accountable to the grantor for the use of the funds.

Grantor

The individual or organization that makes a grant, also called Grant Maker and Donor.

Group delinquency

Research has generally found that most delinquent behavior takes place with peers and is group related.

Group Home

A placement for youths who have been adjudicated by the court; residential community alternative to incarceration providing a range of supervision and treatment depending on the needs of each youth; usually offering care for four or more youth.

Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)

Adults who look after the welfare of a child and represent his/her best interests; usually GALS are volunteers who are also officers of the court.

Guardianship

A court order giving an individual or organization legal authority over a child; the guardian of a child is usually an individual (the child is called a ward); the guardian of an estate is usually an organization, like a bank, which manages the property and assets of a child's inheritance. Guardians are usually compensated for their services.

H

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Hard-line approach

A desire to get tough with juvenile criminals currently found among some policymakers and the public.

HHS

US Department of Health and Human Services; NH Department of Health and Human Services

Home detention

A form of detention that is used in some jurisdictions in which the juvenile remains at home but receives intensive supervision by staff of the probation department.

House arrest or Home Detention

Temporary custody of a youth who meets detention criteria but does not require secure detention; uses home of youth with close daily supervision by juvenile justice system staff; level of intensity varies and may include electronic monitoring, curfew, and other restrictive requirements. This type of custody may also be used during pre-placement supervision.

HUD

US Department of Housing and Urban Development

I

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IACP

International Association of Chiefs of Police

IDEA

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP

Individual Education Plan, an individualized plan created for students who have special learning needs.

Indicator
(See Benchmark)

In-kind donations

Contributions of services, materials, supplies, equipment, or space that would otherwise have a cost associated with their procurement.

In Loco Parentis

A guardian or an agency is given the rights, duties, and responsibilities of a parent.

In Re Gault (1967)

Federal case that determined that the US Constitution requires a separate justice system with certain standard procedures and protections for juvenile offenders.

Intake

The initial screening process for youth who have been referred to the juvenile justice system; for determination of the appropriateness of detention, release, or referral to a diversionary program or agency for unofficial or nonjudicial handling; for research for medical, psychiatric, psychological, substance abuse, or education problems, or for other conditions that may have caused the child to come to the attention of law enforcement or intake officers. Intake also includes the screening of a status offender or child in need of services (CHINS) to determine which actions are in the best interests of the child, the family, and the community.

Intervention (Juvenile Justice)

Programs or services that interrupt the delinquency process and prevent a youth from penetrating further into the juvenile justice system.

Intervention (Prevention)

Identification, assessment, referral, and possible treatment services for individuals who are engaging in negative or risk behaviors.

Investigation

The process of preparing and developing a case by handling the evidence, interviewing witnesses/victims etc so that the judge can make informed decisions at the adjudication and dispositional hearings; this term does not have common meaning from state to state.

I&R

Information and Referral

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