Abstract
The existence of racial disparity in the waiver of juvenile cases to adult criminal court has been acknowledged in past research. In addition, questionable practices with respect to prosecutorial decision-making in the waiver process have also drawn attention to existing juvenile waiver policies. The consequences and effectiveness of waiving juveniles to criminal court also warrants further examination as current literature points toward negative experiences for youths waived to adult court and a lack of success with reference to the intended objectives of the waiver process. Upon a review of the literature, policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Jodi K. Olson
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Jodi K. Olson received her Masters Degree in the Department of Criminal Justice, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, May, 2005. This paper was submitted as partial fulfillment for the requirements of a graduate seminar on Juvenile Justice during the fall semester, 2004.