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Abandonment
A form of child abuse in most states; the most common legal grounds for termination of parental rights
Abused child
Includes children less than 18 years of age who have suffered or been threatened with non-accidental physical or mental harm, negligent treatment, sexual exploitation, or those who have been the victim of any sexual abuse
Accountability
Refers to juvenile offenders accepting responsibility for their behavior and then acting to repair the harm done; a key component in the philosophy of Restorative Justice
ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act - federal law that contains civil rights legislation for people with disabilities.
ADD
Attention Deficit Disorder - was once simply labeled "hyperactivity"; one variation seen is ADHD which means Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder; refers to an inability to attend to a task; this disorder isolates children and often leads them to participate in risk behaviors.
Addiction
Strong emotional and/or psychological dependence on a substance such as alcohol or drugs which has progressed beyond voluntary control
Adjudication
The legal process whereby a juvenile court judge decides, during an adjudicatory hearing, whether a child is a delinquent, a status offender, or a dependent or whether the allegations in the petition can be sustained. In adult criminal court this is the process of determining guilt; in juvenile court, which is a civil court, this is the process of determining whether a charge is "found true"
Adjudicated Delinquent
An adjudicated delinquent is a youth who has been found guilty by a judge of committing a delinquent act. The court can commit an adjudicated juvenile or place the juvenile on community control.
Adjudicatory Hearing
The fact-finding (trial) phase of a juvenile case in which a judge receives and weighs evidence before deciding whether the youth is responsible for the offense.
Adult
In New Hampshire's justice system, an "adult" is a person 17 years of age or older. Youth 17 years or older are handled through the adult criminal system. This law, now under review by NH legislators, may return this age to 18.
Advocate
To speak in favor of; one who supports or defends a cause; one who pleads on behalf of another
Aftercare
Supervision of juveniles who are released from correctional institutions so that they can make an optimal adjustment to community living. Most communities in NH, including those in Belknap County, do not provide adequate aftercare resources to aid in the reintegration of juveniles.
Age of majority
The age when the juvenile must leave the protection of the juvenile justice system and be handled in adult criminal court; Currently in New Hampshire this age is 17.
Aggravated assault
An unlawful attack by one person upon another, usually using a weapon or means likely to produce death or great bodily harm, for the purpose of inflicting severe injury
Aggravated DUI
Occurs when a juvenile commits 3 or more DUI's (driving under the influence of alcohol) within a 60 month period or commits another DUI and drives on a suspended or revoked license or drives under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a passenger under the age of 15 years old.
Aggravating Factors
Factors to be considered that may increase the seriousness of the offense, such as prior offenses, weapon use, heinous nature of crime, and threats to victims or witnesses
Alternative school
A facility that provides an alternative educational experience, usually in a different location, for youths who are not doing satisfactory work in the public school setting.
ABA
American Bar Association
ACA
American Correctional Association
Arrest
The process of taking a juvenile into custody for an alleged violation of the law. A juvenile is often said to be "taken into custody" rather than arrested.
Arrest Rate
Arrests per 100,000 persons in the reference population
Arson
Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc A juvenile committing arson has been, or is often the victim of sexual abuse.
Asset mapping
Inventorying the gifts, skills, and capacities of a community's residents, groups, associations, and formal institutions.
At-risk youth
Youth who are at risk of being involved with the juvenile justice system
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A disorder that most commonly develops in childhood where the individual demonstrates developmentally inappropriate inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity, often leading to disruptive behaviors in a classroom or group setting; many youth involved with the juvenile justice system suffer from ADHD.
Attribute
Individual characteristics that protect or subject individuals to situations e.g. personality values, skills, and knowledge.
Authorization
The legal authority upon which a program is based, or actions can be taken; often called Enabling Legislation.
B
BATF
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Bed; commitment bed
Describes the number of openings in a detention center, non-secure shelter, respite home, staff-secure shelter, or any other similar facility where a juvenile lives and sleeps at night. A State-accrediting agency determines the number of beds available in a facility based on a number of factors including safety and risk, health and welfare, and treatment focus.
Behavior Modification
Treatment that rewards appropriate behavior positively, immediately, and systematically and assumes that rewards increase the occurrence of the desired behavior.
Benchmark
A specific measure of progress toward an established goal.
Best interests of the child
Legal doctrine establishing the court as the determiner of the best environment for raising a child.
Best practices
Programs, skills, ideas, and resources that have been proven to meet established goals.
Beyond a reasonable doubt
The degree of proof needed for a juvenile to be adjudicated delinquent by the juvenile court during the adjudicatory stage of the court's proceedings.
Bipolar Disorder
An affective or mood disorder characterized by episodes of mania that alternate with periods of depression and normal mood intervals.
Blended Sentencing
Allows older delinquent juvenile to be transferred to adult prisons if these youths fail to convince a juvenile court judge that they are ready for release into the community.
Block Grant
A Federal grant made by specific formulas under broad and general subject areas with grantees given broad latitude in specific activities. Recipients are normally States or local governments.
Bricks and Mortar
An informal term for capital funds generally used for building renovation or construction.
BJA
Bureau of Justice Assistance
BJS
Bureau of Justice Assistance
BOP
Bureau of Prisons
Burglary
Breaking or entering with intent to commit a felony or theft; includes attempted forcible entry.
Capacity building
Efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of individuals and entities. Efforts include activities to increase knowledge, skills, abilities, and human and financial resources.
CASA Volunteer
CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are everyday people who after completing specialized training are appointed by district court judges to advocate for the best interests of a child victim of abuse and neglect. Following visits and discussions with the child, parents, family members, social workers, school teachers, and all other persons involved in the child's life, a CASA volunteer presents the court with a "child-centered" perspective of what is in the best interests of the child. Nearly 300 CASA volunteers represent over 1,200 children in New Hampshire. www.casanh.org
Case
A case is determined by selecting the most serious offense committed by an individual youth on a specific date. Thus, the number of cases in the juvenile justice system is determined by counting only the most serious offense for which a youth is charged on any specific date. Therefore, a youth referred for several offenses on the same date is considered one case while offenses committed by the same youth at other times are considered additional cases.
Case manager
A person who assesses the needs of a juvenile, develops a plan of services, refers the juvenile for services, monitors those services, tracks and counsels the youth; these functions may be performed by JPPO's or by individuals from contracted private organizations.
Case plan
A written document, also referred to as a treatment plan, that includes strategies for intervention based on an in-depth risk and needs assessment; the plan specifies the services to be offered, the goals to be attained, and the responsibilities of the youth in complying with the plan.
CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Certification as an adult
Judicial ruling that youth age 15 or older, or youth who has committed more than four delinquent acts, can be tried in adult court rather than be handled through the juvenile system.
Challenge Grant
Grant awarded only if the grantee is able to raise additional funds from other sources; often used to stimulate giving from other donors.
Charge
An accusation of wrong-doing
CHINS
Child in Need of Services; term applied to status offenders adjudicated in juvenile court.
Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive treatment focuses on the thoughts that a youth has and educates the youth on how their thoughts impact their feelings and behaviors.
Collaboration
Activities designed to build capacity at the organizational and community levels in order to integrate services across agencies (example: coalition building, community partnerships, and citizen participation)
Commitment
Determination by a juvenile judge at the disposition stage of a juvenile court proceeding that a juvenile be sent to a juvenile correctional institution.
Community-based
A strategy, process, or entity that serves a well-defined neighborhood or local population and where the majority of decision-making authority is held by people from the community it serves
Community-based corrections
Probation, residential and day treatment programs, and parole (aftercare) are the basic forms of community-based corrections. The nature of the linkages between community programs and their social environments is the most distinguishing feature of community-based corrections. As frequency, duration, and quality of community relationships increase, the programs become more community based.
Community-based organization
An entity providing supports, services, and/or programs in their and other communities.
Community Justice
Names a philosophy that encompasses Restorative Justice strategies, prioritizes prevention, and uses proven best practices in community development and citizen participation; usually involves systems change.
Community plan
A plan developed by a community to achieve planned results.
Community Service
Requiring offenders to work in the community to repay society for the harm done by their actions.
Competitive Grant
A grant program in which grantees are selected by a competitive review of proposals, usually by a panel of peer reviewers.
Comprehensive assessment
The gathering of information to evaluate a juvenile offender's physical, psychological, educational, vocational, and social conditions and family environment as these relate to the offender's need for services
Conduct Disorder
A disorder of childhood characterized by behavior such as aggressiveness, deceit, violation of accepted rules, or the destruction of property; behavior that ignores the basic rights of others and the rules of society; many youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system have conduct disorders.
Conflict Resolution
A variety of strategies using communication skills and creative thinking to develop voluntary solutions that are acceptable to those involved in a dispute.
Confrontation
A therapeutic technique used by professionals that includes revealing uncomfortable truths to the client in order to encourage self-examination and to move the client forward in the therapeutic process.
Consent degree
Formal agreement between a juvenile and the court in which the juvenile is placed under the court's supervision without a formal finding of delinquency.
Continuance
A request to postpone a court date.
Continuum of care
A broad array of juvenile justice programs and services available in the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, ranging from the least to the most intrusive and including court diversion, shelter care, restorative community-based programs for juveniles, short-term detention, electronic monitoring, and secure residential placement options; the optimal continuum of care is community-based and includes strong prevention programs for at-risk youth and families.
COPS
Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services
Court diversion
A program designed to keep a juvenile offender from entering the juvenile justice system; an alternative to court usually requiring the youth to complete a specified treatment plan designed to prevent further delinquent acts.
Crime Indices
Crime Index - The sum of the Violent Crime Index and the Property Crime Index
Violent Crime Index - The number of arrests for murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault
Property Crime Index - The number of arrests for burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft and arson
Crimes against persons
Includes criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, and any attempts to commit such acts
Crimes against property
Includes burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson, vandalism, stolen property offenses, trespassing, extortion, fraud, forgery, embezzlement and any attempts to commit such acts
Criminal background checks
An extensive search through criminal records to identify any prior involvement with the criminal justice system; often required of anyone who works with youth.
Crisis intervention
Any procedure, treatment, or action, including counseling, temporary residential placements, medication etc, quickly taken to dilute an emergency which if left untended would escalate into very serious consequences.
Cultural Competence
The ability to recognize, appreciate, and acknowledge the differences and similarities within, among, and between groups.
Curfew
A local ordinance that requires a specific group of persons (usually juveniles under a certain age) to refrain from unsupervised activities after a designated hour within the confines of a selected area, city or county.
Custody; taken into custody
In the care of a juvenile justice agency or official; similar to being arrested in the adult criminal system.