CLINICAL-EVALUATIONS FOR TRANSFER OF JUVENILES TO CRIMINAL COURT - CURRENT PRACTICES AND FUTURE-RESEARCH

Completing clinical evaluations of juveniles considered for transfer t o criminal court requires specialized expertise. However, there is lit tle empirical foundation upon which they can be based. Within each of the three major evaluation domains (amenability to treatment, risk for future violence, and sophistication/maturity), we ask the following q uestions: a) Can forensic examiners properly assess this area, and if so using what tools?; b) How can social science research clarify the t ransfer evaluation, particularly as it is impacted by systems issues?; and c) How should the evaluation be structured? In doing so, we revie w clinical suggestions for completing these evaluations and identify p ertinent research directions. A number of general issues specific to t hese evaluations are also discussed. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Lt d.