Summary
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Established by individual police officers and encouraged by a headquarters unit, the Community Aid Panels are voluntary for juvenile first offenders. It aims to provide first offenders the opportunity to make restitution to the community by taking part in community service projects or by developing skills or taking courses to solve the personal problems that may have led to the offense. This research gathered information from interviews with 35 youths who had appeared before one panel during 1991. Findings indicated the need to clearly define the role of these panels in the juvenile justice system and to ensure that they are targeting an appropriate group of young offenders, rather than first and minor offenders who would benefit more from the timely response of an appropriately administered warning. Tables, footnotes, and list of survey questions.
