• In more than half (62%) of all adjudicated delinquency cases in 1999, formal probation was the most severe sanction ordered by the court.

• Nearly one-quarter (24%) of adjudicated cases resulted in placement outside the home in a residential facility.

• In 10% of adjudicated delinquency cases, the court ordered the juvenile to pay restitution or a fine, to participate in some form of community service, or to enter a treatment or counseling program— dispositions with minimal continuing supervision by probation staff.

• In a relatively small number of cases (4%), the juvenile was adjudicated but was released with no further sanction or consequence.

• In 33% of all petitioned delinquency cases in 1999, the youth was not subsequently adjudicated delinquent. The court dismissed most of these cases (67%), but 12% resulted in some form of informal probation, 2% in voluntary out-of-home placements, and 19% in other voluntary dispositions.

• The court dismissed 39% of the informally handled (nonpetitioned) delinquency cases in 1999. A small proportion of the remaining nonpetitioned cases involved voluntary out-of-home placements; most, however, resulted in voluntary probation or other dispositions.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

• For every 1,000 delinquency cases processed in 1999, 575 (58%) were petitioned for formal processing and 425 (42%) were handled informally.

• In many petitioned delinquency cases that did not result in juvenile court adjudication, the youth agreed to informal services or sanctions, including out-of-home placement, informal probation, and other dispositions such as restitution.

• In a small number of cases (14 of 1,000), the juvenile was adjudicated but the court closed the case with a stayed or suspended sentence, warned and released the youth, or perhaps required the youth to write an essay. In such cases, the juvenile is not under any continuing court supervision.

• Although juvenile courts handled more than 4 in 10 delinquency cases without the filing of a formal petition, more than half of these cases received some form of court sanction, including probation or other dispositions such as restitution, community service, or referral to another agency.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Case Processing by Offense Category, 1999

Person Offense Cases

• In 1999, more than 6 in 10 formally processed person offense cases resulted in the youth being adjudicated delinquent.

• Most adjudicated person cases resulted in some formal sanction, such as probation (63%) or outofhome placement (26%) following adjudication. Only a small proportion (4%) of these cases were released.

Property Offense Cases

• Of the four general offense categories, property offense cases were least likely to be petitioned for formal processing. However, once petitioned, property offense cases were more likely to result in the youth being adjudicated than were cases involving person offenses.

• Juvenile courts handled 46% of all property offense cases without the filing of a petition. Nearly twothirds of these cases received some form of court sanction, including probation, restitution, community service, or referral to another agency.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Drug Offense Cases

• In 1999, 67% of all petitioned drug offense cases resulted in the youth being adjudicated delinquent.

• Juvenile courts ordered formal sanctions or waived jurisdiction in 65% of all petitioned drug offense cases.

Public Order Offense Cases

• In 1999, 41% of all public order offense cases were handled informally; more than 40% of these cases were dismissed, while the remaining cases resulted in some form of court sanction, including probation, restitution, community service, or referral to another agency.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Case Processing by Age, 1999

• Youth age 15 or younger were adjudicated delinquent in 68% of all formally processed cases in 1999. In comparison, youth age 16 or older were adjudicated delinquent in 65% of all such cases.

• The proportion of petitioned cases waived to criminal court was less than 1% for youth age 15 or younger and 1% for youth age 16 or older.

• Forty-five percent of all cases involving youth age 15 or younger were handled without the filing of a petition. Of these cases, 39% were dismissed without sanction.

• In 34% of all petitioned cases involving youth age 16 or older, the youth was not subsequently adjudicated. The court dismissed nearly two-thirds of these cases, but 11% resulted in informal probation, 2% in voluntary outofhome placement, and 20% in other voluntary dispositions.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Case Processing by Gender, 1999

• In 1999, 6 of every 10 cases involving males were petitioned, compared with nearly 5 of every 10 cases involving females.

• More than half of all cases involving females (51%) were handled informally. Sixty-three percent of these cases received some form of court sanction, including probation, restitution, community service, or referral to another agency.

• Adjudicated cases involving males were more likely to result in outof-home placement than those involving females (26% versus 19%).

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Case Processing by Race, 1999

• Cases involving black youth were more likely to be petitioned than were cases involving white youth or youth of other races. Once petitioned, however, cases involving black youth were less likely to be adjudicated delinquent than were cases involving white youth or youth of other races.

• For all racial groups, a small proportion (about 1%) of cases resulted in waiver to criminal court.

• Once adjudicated, cases involving black youth were more likely to result in out-of-home placement than were cases involving white youth or youth of other races.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

• Forty-seven percent of all cases involving youth of other races were handled informally. More than half of these cases were dismissed.

• Juvenile courts ordered formal sanctions or waived jurisdiction in 69% of all petitioned cases involving youth of other races. In comparison, 62% of all petitioned cases involving black youth were waived or received formal sanctions.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Case Processing by FBI Offense Category, 1999

Violent Crime Index Cases

• In 1999, juvenile courts waived 20 of every 1,000 Violent Crime Index offense cases to criminal court.

• Juvenile courts ordered formal sanctions or waived jurisdiction in more than half of Violent Crime Index offense cases.

• Cases involving juveniles adjudicated for Violent Crime Index offenses were more likely to result in out-of-home placement (171 of 1,000) than were Property Crime Index offense cases (92 of 1,000).

• Cases that are not petitioned and cases in which juveniles are not adjudicated delinquent may result in informal sanctions. Thus, juvenile courts waived jurisdiction or imposed some sort of sanction—formal or informal—in nearly 70% (694 of every 1,000) of the Violent Crime Index offense cases handled in 1999.

Property Crime Index Cases

• Juveniles received informal sanctions in 36% of Property Crime Index offense cases in 1999.

• Juvenile courts waived 5 of every 1,000 Property Crime Index offense cases to criminal court in 1999.

• Cases involving juveniles adjudicated for property crime index offenses were more likely to result in probation than were Violent Crime Index offense cases.

Notes: The Violent Crime Index includes criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The Property Crime Index includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Case Processing by Selected Individual Offense, 1999

Aggravated Assault Cases

• In 1999, juvenile courts waived 11 of every 1,000 aggravated assault cases to criminal court. In comparison, 2 of every 1,000 simple assault cases were waived to criminal court.

• Nearly 70% (690 of 1,000) of aggravated assault cases received some sort of sanction or were waived to criminal court.

• Juveniles received informal sanctions (sanctions resulting from cases not petitioned or not adjudicated) in more than one-fifth of aggravated assault cases.

Simple Assault Cases

• Compared with aggravated assault cases, simple assault cases were less likely to result in court-ordered sanctions or waiver to criminal court.

• Of every 1,000 simple assault cases handled in 1999, more than 300 resulted in the youth agreeing to informal sanctions.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Robbery Cases

• In 1999, juvenile courts waived 29 of every 1,000 robbery cases to criminal court.

• Juvenile courts ordered formal sanctions or waived jurisdiction in nearly 60% (591 of 1,000) of all robbery cases.

• About 12% of all robbery cases were not petitioned. More than half (58%, or 68 of 116 cases) of these cases were dismissed.

Burglary Cases

• Juvenile courts waived 10 of every 1,000 burglary cases to criminal court in 1999.

• Juvenile courts ordered formal sanctions or waived jurisdiction in more than half (570 of 1,000) of all burglary cases.

• Nearly three-fourths (575 of 772) of all petitioned burglary cases resulted in the youth being adjudicated delinquent.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Motor Vehicle Theft Cases

• In 1999, 71% (546 of 764) of all petitioned motor vehicle theft cases resulted in formal court sanctions or waiver to criminal court.

• More than one-fifth (236 of 1,000) of motor vehicle theft cases were not petitioned. Nearly half of these cases received some form of court sanction, including probation, out-of-home placement, restitution, community service, or referral to another agency.

Vandalism Cases

• Juvenile courts handled 488 of every 1,000 vandalism cases informally in 1999. Youth received informal sanctions in 279 (57%) of these nonpetitioned cases.

• Juvenile courts formally ordered sanctions such as community service and restitution in 47 of every 1,000 vandalism cases, compared with 31 of every 1,000 motor vehicle theft cases.

Note: Cases are categorized by their most severe or restrictive sanction. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.