As a critical institution in America’s response to delinquency, the juvenile court plays a major role in the lives of many children. It works to protect society by imposing appropriate sanctions on juvenile offenders and to reform these youth by promoting accountability and responsibility. Clearly, the court is on the front line of the fight against violence.

What issues face the juvenile court? Which types of offenders appear before it? What are the resources available to the court?

The first Juvenile Court Statistics described cases handled by 42 courts in 1927. Juvenile Court Statistics 1998 profiles the 1.8 million delinquency cases handled by nearly 2,000 courts with jurisdiction over 71% of the juvenile population in 1998 and examines trends in case processing since 1989.

The challenges faced by the juvenile court are considerable. This Report serves as a reference guide to help policymakers, researchers, and other concerned citizens to better understand the juvenile justice system. By documenting trends in juvenile court workloads, it also helps us plan for the future of the court and the programs and services that the court provides. In this way, it can enhance our Nation’s response to juvenile delinquency.

J. Robert Flores
Administrator
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention