ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on some of the interventions and treatment programs that have been developed to rehabilitate juvenile offenders both within the community and within institutions. It also focuses on diversion programs, a type of intervention that is designed to keep juveniles from being formally processed in the juvenile court. The chapter discusses three different types of specialty courts—teen courts, substance abuse courts, and mental health courts—that fall under the category of diversion. It explores rehabilitation and treatment programs both within correctional facilities and within the community, with an emphasis being placed on evidence-based practices. The Commission was critical of the juvenile justice system's ability to rehabilitate youthful offenders and acknowledged the crime-producing effects that formal system intervention had on youth. While some variation exists, most states utilize the federal definition, which holds 18 as the age of criminal responsibility. The chapter concludes with future directions for rehabilitation and treatment programs for juvenile offenders.
