| POLICY AND PROGRAM IMPLICATIONS 1. In response to the
over-representation of African-American children in the juvenile justice system, the
Criminal Justice Council recommends:
- An in-depth examination of the causes of this over-representation.
- A review of existing programs to ensure that they effectively serve San Mateo County's
African-American communities.
- Development of new programs to respond to identified needs of the County's children.
- An examination of the County's methods of preventing and punishing juvenile crime in
order to reverse the increasing offenses by females and ethnic minorities other than
African-Americans.
2. In response to the increase in arrests of younger children in 1991, the Criminal
Justice Council recommends:
- An investigation of the causes for an increasing number of arrests of younger children
for felonies and other serious crimes.
- Efforts to reduce the incidence of serious crimes not only among older children but also
among the younger groups whose crime rates are increasing. Juvenile crime prevention
and correction in San Mateo County should be directed with an awareness of these new
age-related trends.
3. In response to the general trend of increase in juvenile crime, the Criminal Justice
Council recommends:
- A review of the factors which have contributed to a long-term increase in the number of
children committed to the California Youth Authority.
- A review of existing commitment policies in order to reduce the number of children
incarcerated locally and to develop new programs as alternatives to local incarceration.
- An investigation of the reasons for juvenile offenses and an effort to provide San Mateo
County's children with realistic and appealing alternatives to crime.
- Implementation and improvement of crime prevention programs in order to reduce the
number of juvenile crimes committed.
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