Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Chuck J. Williamson

Abstract

The research problem that this study addressed was the rising juvenile crime in Fulton County, Georgia. Georgia’s juvenile justice system went through a significant overhaul in 2013 that promised to reduce juvenile crime and recidivism, create more community-based interventions and programs, reduce the number of juveniles in out-of-home placement, and save taxpayers money. Despite the efforts put into place by House Bill 242 of 2013 (HB242), there was still an increase in juvenile crime, and there were not many community-based interventions and programs put into place. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of HB242 on juvenile crime, juvenile recidivism, and community-oriented programs and interventions. The theoretical foundation used in this study was the policy analytical framework; a qualitative comparative analysis methodology was used to address the research questions, which focused on the impact of HB242 on the juvenile justice system in Fulton County, Georgia. Citizen participants (n = 113) were recruited through social media to complete a questionnaire about their perceptions of juvenile crime. Juvenile crime and arrest disposition data pre- and post-HB242were analyzed to determine if the reform was successful. The key results from this study showed that citizens did not believe that the current juvenile justice system was effective at reducing juvenile crime and that more community-based programs were needed in South Fulton County. The positive social implications from this study would be that more community-based programs could be created to address juvenile delinquency before juveniles entered the justice system and bridge the gap between the community, law enforcement, and the justice system.

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