Chapter 8
Collecting Information on Juveniles in Custody

OJJDP has been collecting information for nearly 30 years on the number of juveniles held in detention and other facilities. Until 1995, these data were gathered through the biennial Census of Public and Private Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities, better known as the Children in Custody (CIC) Census. In the late 1990s, OJJDP initiated two new data collection programs to gather comprehensive and detailed information about juvenile offenders in custody and about the facilities themselves. The first of these, the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP), has been conducted three times—in 1997, 1999, and 2001—and will be administered again in October 2003. The Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) was conducted in 2000 and 2002. JRFC collects information about the facilities (rather than the residents) and includes questions regarding available beds, security, and education, mental health, medical, and substance abuse services. JRFC also asks about deaths of residents in custody. OJJDP administers CJRP and JRFC in alternating years.

This chapter summarizes data derived mainly from CJRP and JRFC. It also discusses two recent OJJDP survey projects that will shed light on the personal background and experience of juveniles in custody and provide comprehensive data about juveniles on probation.

Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement

CJRP covers all secure and nonsecure residential facilities that house juvenile offenders, defined as persons younger than 21 who are held in a residential setting because of an offense and as a result of some contact with the justice system. The census encompasses both status offenders and delinquent offenders, including those who are either detained or committed for an offense.

In 1997, more than 96 percent of the 3,431 surveyed facilities responded. In 1999, all 3,712 surveyed facilities provided at least some information. Based on survey data, an estimated 105,790 juvenile offenders were in residential placement in 1997. In 1999, the number was 108,931—a 3-percent increase from 1997. In 1997, juvenile offenders were held in 2,844 residential facilities: 1,108 public and 1,736 private. In 1999, juveniles were held in 2,939 residential facilities: 1,136 public, 1,794 private, and 9 tribal. In 1999, public facilities held 71 percent of all juvenile offenders in residential placement, private facilities held 29 percent, and tribal facilities held less than 1 percent.

As a resource for those who want to learn more about youth in custody, OJJDP makes CJRP data available online in the "Statistical Briefing Book" section of the OJJDP Web site. Data from the 2001 CJRP are being processed and are expected to be available in 2004.

Juvenile Residential Facility Census

The first JRFC, conducted in October 2000, collected information from 3,690 juvenile residential facilities.¹¹ Of these facilities, 3,061 held a total of 110,284 offenders younger than 21 on the census date. Four in ten of the surveyed facilities were publicly operated, and these public facilities held 70 percent of all juvenile offenders in custody.

Nearly all (94 percent) of the facilities surveyed in the 2000 JRFC reported the number of standard beds available on the census date and whether they had any currently occupied makeshift beds. Many—about 4 in 10—said they did not have enough standard beds for all of their residents. These "crowded" facilities held about 40 percent of all residents and 40 percent of offenders younger than 21.

Crowding occurs when the number of residents occupying all or part of a facility exceeds some predetermined limit based on square footage, utility use, or fire codes. Comparing the number of residents to the number of available standard beds, although not a perfect measure of crowding, gives a sense of the problem. However, a facility may be crowded even if it is not relying on makeshift beds. For example, using standard beds in an infirmary for youth who are not sick or beds in seclusion for youth who have not committed infractions may indicate crowding problems.

JRFC found a national average of nearly five empty standard beds per facility. However, this average masks a wide range: one facility with 567 residents had 124 residents for whom it did not have standard beds, and one facility with 1,207 residents reported 1,181 empty standard beds. JRFC also found that facilities reporting fewer standard beds than residents were significantly more likely than other facilities (45 percent versus 38 percent) to say they transported youth to emergency rooms because of injuries resulting from interpersonal conflict in the month prior to the census.

Findings from the 2000 JRFC are discussed in an OJJDP Bulletin, Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2000: Selected Findings. Data from the October 2002 JRFC are being processed and are expected to be available in 2004.

Deaths in Custody

In 1994, juvenile facilities reported that 45 juveniles died while in custody. In 2000, the number (based on JRFC findings) was 30. There has been concern about the risk of death to youth in custody and whether that risk is greater than the risk faced by youth in general. In 1999, there was 1 death for every 2,230 youth ages 13–17 in the general population. For youth in custody, there was 1 death for every 3,990 beds occupied. Thus, the death rate for youth in custody was a little more than half the rate for youth in the general population.

More than half (17) of the 30 deaths of youth in custody occurred outside the facility. Private facilities accounted for most deaths outside the facility. Public facilities accounted for most deaths that occurred inside the facility. Public facilities reported 14 deaths (9 inside, 5 outside). Private facilities reported 16 deaths (4 inside, 12 outside).

All facilities reporting suicides said they evaluate residents within 24 hours of arrival to determine whether they are at risk for suicide. All but one facility said they evaluate all residents for suicide risk. The one facility that did not evaluate all residents said it evaluated youth who attempt suicide, who display or communicate suicide risk, or for whom no mental health record is available. Of the 135 facilities that reported transporting at least one juvenile to a hospital emergency room because of a suicide attempt, none reported a suicide death.

Survey of Youth in Residential Placement

In addition to supporting the collection of important information through CJRP and JRFC, OJJDP recognizes the value of interviewing youth in juvenile justice system facilities. Such interviews provide a wealth of information on past offending behavior, pathways to delinquency, family and social environments, and experiences in custody. Using Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) funds, OJJDP awarded a cooperative agreement in 1998 to Westat, Inc., of Rockville, MD, to develop the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP). This survey collects self-report data from 10,000 juveniles residing in juvenile facilities, including youth with long-term placements in training schools and residential treatment facilities and those with short-term placements in detention centers, shelters, and group homes.

SYRP addresses the experiences of youth before they enter custodial facilities and during their stays. It includes questions on topics such as education, home environment, and substance abuse; number and types of offenses committed; and types of sanctions received for previous offenses. OJJDP will use SYRP data to complement other research on delinquency careers and offending behavior and to monitor the range of residential placements used for juvenile offenders. In addition, SYRP supports the JAIBG program goal of holding juveniles accountable for their delinquent acts. Westat conducted the first SYRP in spring 2003. Results are expected in 2004.

Census and Survey of Juvenile Probation

To help determine both the number of juveniles under community supervision and the nature of that supervision, OJJDP is funding the Census and Survey of Juvenile Probation. The project, which is being conducted jointly by George Mason University of Fairfax, VA, and the U.S. Bureau of the Census, consists of two surveys: the Census of Juvenile Probation Supervision Offices (CJPSO) and the Census of Juveniles on Probation (CJP). CJPSO, which gathers information on juvenile probation counts, processing, and programming, will be field tested in 2003 and administered in spring 2004. CJP, which collects aggregate counts of juveniles on probation by geographic area and information about their demographic characteristics and offenses, is expected to be field tested in 2004 and administered in spring 2005.

¹¹JRFC does not capture data on adult prisons or jails, nor does it include facilities used exclusively for mental health or substance abuse treatment or for dependent children. Thus, JRFC includes most, but not all, facilities that hold juvenile offenders.