Most adjudicated delinquency cases in 1998 resulted in residential placement or formal probation

Probation was more likely than residential placement

In 26% of adjudicated delinquency cases, the court ordered the youth to residential placement such as a training school, treatment center, boot camp, drug treatment or private placement facility, or group home. In 58% of adjudicated delinquency cases, probation was the most severe sanction ordered.

Once adjudicated, females were less likely to be ordered to residential placement than were males, and white youth were less likely than were black youth or youth of other races. Demographic patterns in the use of residential placement and probation, however, do not control for criminal histories and other risk factors related to dispositional decisions and increased severity of sanctions.

Percentage of adjudicated delinquency cases, 1998:

Characteristic	Residential placement	Formal probation
All cases	26%	58%
Gender
Male	27	57
Female	20	63
Race
White	24	58
Black	30	57
Other races	25	57
Age
12 and younger	16	67
13	23	63
14	26	60
15	28	58
16	28	55
17 and older	25	53
Note: All racial groups include Hispanics.

In 1998, residential placement or formal probation was ordered in 84% of delinquency cases; in 1989, the proportion was 86%
		Percentage of adjudicated delinquency cases
		Residential placement		Formal probation
	Most serious offense	1989	1998	1989	1998
	Delinquency	31%	26%	55%	58%
	Person offenses	33	27	54	58
	Criminal homicide	64	51	33	39
	Forcible rape	46	40	47	45
	Robbery	45	43	43	47
	Aggravated assault	33	30	54	56
	Simple assault	28	23	58	61
	Other violent sex offenses	29	33	61	55
	Other person offenses	26	21	59	61
	Property offenses	27	24	57	59
	Burglary	34	29	57	59
	Larceny-theft	22	22	59	61
	Motor vehicle theft	36	39	51	52
	Arson	27	25	58	57
	Vandalism	18	17	61	62
	Trespassing	23	20	55	60
	Stolen property offenses	31	30	56	52
	Other property offenses	25	16	58	64
	Drug law violations	36	23	54	59
	Public order offenses	38	28	50	54
	Weapons offenses	27	26	63	62
	Obstruction of justice	49	36	45	51
	Disorderly conduct	20	15	58	64
	Liquor law violations	18	9	57	52
	Nonviolent sex offenses	37	34	56	58
	Other public order offenses	23	13	49	46
	Violent Crime Index*	39	35	49	52
	Property Crime Index**	29	26	57	59
Cases involving youth adjudicated for serious person offenses, such as homicide, rape, or robbery, were most likely to result in residential placement. The relatively high residential placement rate for public order cases stems from that category's inclusion of certain obstruction of justice offenses that have a high likelihood of placement (e.g., escapes from confinement and violations of probation or parole). *The FBI's Violent Crime Index includes criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. **The FBI's Property Crime Index includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Source: Author's adaptation of Puzzanchera et al.'s Juvenile Court Statistics 1998.

Residential placement and probation caseloads increased between 1989 and 1998

The total number of delinquency cases in which youth were placed out of the home (including informal/voluntary and formal placements) rose 41% between 1989 and 1998, from 125,700 to 176,700. The number of adjudicated cases ordered to residential placement increased 37% in that period, from 119,700 to 163,800.

The total number of delinquency cases receiving probation (either formal or informal) as the most severe initial disposition increased 56% between 1989 and 1998, from 425,900 to 665,500. The number of cases adjudicated and ordered to formal probation increased 73% in that time, from 211,400 to 366,100. The growth in probation caseloads was greater than the growth in delinquency caseloads at referral (44%) and adjudication (65%).

In addition, an increasing number of youth received other sanctions (e.g., community service, restitution) as their most severe disposition. Cases receiving other sanctions represented 17% of cases disposed in 1998. The majority (77%) of such cases were handled informally. Overall, the number of cases receiving other sanctions as their most severe disposition increased 61% from 1989 to 1998. The number of adjudicated cases receiving other sanctions as their most severe disposition rose 85% in this time, from 38,400 to 71,000.

Probation conditions are designed to control and rehabilitate

Probation is the oldest and most widely used community-based corrections program. Probation is used both for first-time, low-risk offenders and as an alternative to institutional confinement for more serious offenders. During a period of probation supervision, a juvenile offender remains in the community and can continue normal activities such as school and work. However, the juvenile must comply with certain conditions.

The profiles of adjudicated cases ordered to residential placement and those ordered to probation changed between 1989 and 1998
		Percentage of residential placement cases		Percentage of formal probation cases
	Characteristic	1989	1998	1989	1998
	Most serious offense	100%	100%	100%	100%
	Person	19	24	17	23
	Property	50	41	59	45
	Drugs	9	11	8	12
	Public order	22	24	16	21
	Gender	100%	100%	100%	100%
	Male	88	85	85	79
	Female	12	15	15	21
	Race	100%	100%	100%	100%
	White	60	61	63	66
	Black	36	36	33	31
	Other races	4	3	4	3
	Age	100%	100%	100%	100%
	12 and younger	5	4	8	8
	13	9	9	10	10
	14	17	17	17	17
	15	25	25	23	23
	16	26	27	24	24
	17 and older	18	19	18	18
Compared with 1989, the profiles of residential placement and probation cases in 1998 contained greater proportions of person offenses and females. Compared with the profile of cases that resulted in residential placement in 1998, cases that resulted in formal probation involved a greater proportion of property offenses (45% versus 41%), females (21% versus 15%), whites (66% versus 61%), and youth age 13 or younger (18% versus 13%). Note: Detail may not total 100% because of rounding. Juveniles of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race, but most are included in the white racial category. Source: Author's adaptation of Puzzanchera et al.'s Juvenile Court Statistics 1998.

This compliance may be voluntary: the youth agrees to conditions in lieu of formal adjudication. Or compliance may be mandatory following adjudication: the youth is formally ordered to a term of probation and must comply with the conditions established by the court. More than half (55%) of juvenile probation dispositions in 1998 were formal (i.e., enacted under court order following adjudication).