A Clinical Application of the Juvenile Adjudicative Competence Interview (JACI)

In response to the increasing need for reliable juvenile forensic evaluations, the Child Study & Treatment Center (CSTC) Forensic Clinic adopted a semi-structured interview for conducting evaluations to develop opinions regarding juvenile-competence-related capacities. The Juvenile Adjudicative Competence Interview (JACI; Grisso, 2005) provides a thorough review of psycho-legal capacities, with opportunities to explore the influence of child and adolescent development on competence-related capacities. Its flexibility allows for alternative interview styles and other accommodations. We identify typical gaps in juveniles’ knowledge of court-related proceedings and report a few “local legends” relevant to juvenile competence. The plea bargain vignette is used to demonstrate the assessment of developmental vulnerabilities within a single competence topic