Graduated Sanctions Law and Legal Definition
According to 42 USCS § 5603 [Title 42. The Public Health And Welfare; Chapter 72. Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention; Generally], the term "graduated sanctions" means an accountability-based, graduated series of sanctions (including incentives, treatment, and services) applicable to juveniles within the juvenile justice system to hold such juveniles accountable for their actions and to protect communities from the effects of juvenile delinquency by providing appropriate sanctions for every act for which a juvenile is adjudicated delinquent, by inducing their law-abiding behavior, and by preventing their subsequent involvement with the juvenile justice system.