An Expanded Role for Psychological Assessments in Juvenile Justice Systems

This article describes the potential contributions of psychological assessments to the processing of youths in juvenile justice and correctional systems. Standardized psychological assessment instruments and procedures are shown to be superior to the informal and unstandardized procedures often employed in these systems, and they are also shown to lead to more effective decisions about youths. Major types of assessments relevant to juvenile justice and correctional systems are reviewed as are models for introducing psychological services into the systems.