When offenses are neither serious, violent, nor chronic, it is typically viewed as acceptable to let the family take care of the problem. In this context, juvenile court is properly seen as a court of last resort. But at some point, the seriousness, violence, or repetitiveness of a juvenile's criminality suggests the family should relinquish control and that society should not entrust the problem to the attention and limited resources of the family. In this context, the responsibility for addressing and controlling the problem youth belongs to a "higher" power, namely the juvenile court. The same can be said of the juvenile court and the limits society wants to bestow upon that institution. The juvenile court may be a court of last resort, but it surely is not a court of only resort. Realizing the Purpose and Benefits of Juvenile Transfer to Criminal Court explains that, at some point, the juvenile court should relinquish control when particularly serious, chronic offending is involved. Society needs to rely upon the criminal court to prosecute some chronic and violent juvenile offenders. It presents the myriad benefits stemming from and purposes served by the prosecution of these youths' occurring in criminal court. Covering topics such as benefactors of transfer, juvenile court, and moral condemnation, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for juvenile court workers, court administrators, sociologists, criminal court workers, prosecutors, students and educators of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice are two essential topics in the criminal justice curriculum. Sanborn and Salerno's The Juvenile Justice System: Law and Process is dedicated solely to explaining juvenile justice.
This text explores the many differences between the juvenile justice and the criminal justice systems, both those that benefit youths and those that are arguably unfair to them. The book concentrates, describes, and explains the unique traits of juvenile justice and what makes it so different from criminal justice.
The Juvenile Justice System specifically addresses what actually happens during the court process, devoting an entire chapter to the adjudicatory hearing as well as all other major decision-making stages. A unique feature is its in-depth coverage of plea bargaining. Also featured are topics such as parental role in the juvenile justice system, school searches, and the origin of juvenile court.
Another unique benefit of this text is the Numbers section at the end of several chapters, detailing how many youths have been affected by various decisions made in the juvenile justice system (such as arrest, detention, transfer to adult court, adjudication, being placed on probation, or committed to residential placement). In addition, the appendices identify juvenile justice standards for all 50 states and Washington, DC, as well as the federal jurisdiction. These standards apply to all decisions made within the juvenile justice system, including arrest, detention, diversion, intake, transfer, adjudication, disposition, and postdispositional stages.
The text is written in a conversational, reader-friendly style. Each chapter describes and analyzes, step by step, what young alleged offenders experience in each successive stage of the court process. For each chapter, outlines of key terms and concepts aid student comprehension and serve as a starting point for class discussion. Each chapter also features discussion questions designed to stimulate students' critical thinking.
A comprehensive Instructor's Manual/Testing Program is available, and an interactive Student Study Guide is included with each copy of the book.