Juvenile waiver to criminal court: Experiences and perceptions of Maryland youths

The study presented here focuses on the experiences and perceptions of serious and chronic youthful offenders subject to waiver or transfer provisions in Maryland. Individual interviews were conducted with 23 youths who were adjudicated in juvenile court (juveniles) and 25 youths who were adjudicated in criminal court (young offenders). The interview included questions relating to the youth's social and family background, his delinquency/criminal history, and his experiences in the juvenile and/or criminal justice system, especially regarding factors that might impact future offending.;The analysis resulted in five primary findings: (1) most of the youths lived in environments where drug/alcohol use was common and drugs and/or alcohol were factors in many of their offenses; (2) every youth interviewed had experienced one or more violent events in his life, some of which had a significant impact on the youth; (3) many of the juveniles expressed the idea that the judge, in making the waiver/transfer decision that allowed the youth to stay in the juvenile system, must have seen some worth in him that convinced the judge to give the youth a "second chance"; (4) many of the young offenders felt that they had not been treated fairly in the waiver/transfer hearing, expressing the complaint that the judge did not really listen to them; (5) many more of the young offenders than the juveniles believed that they would have trouble finding a job after being released from custody.