Juvenile justice as people-modulating: A case study of progressive delinquent dispositions

In multifunctional people-modulating contexts, such as juvenile probation, accumulating deviance results in a progression of remedial reactions. Scaled sanctioning, as accomplishment, proceeds from failed normal remedies, escalated in severity to a sanction of last resort that is often followed by inaction. Juvenile probation officers' (JPO) dispositions support this sequence. However, the sequence does not reflect the influence of JPO background characteristics or delinquency conceptions. Rather, such scenarios appear characteristic of juvenile justice advocacy, with greater conformity expected from junior JPOs. Senior JPOs are granted greater discretion. This reflects the dual charge of rehabilitation and community protection and results in systematized attention to community risk tempered by experienced JPO latitude.