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This Bulletin is part of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series. The National Report offers a comprehensive statistical overview of the problems of juvenile crime, violence, and victimization and the response of the juvenile justice system. During each interim year, the Bulletins in the National Report Series provide access to the latest information on juvenile arrests, court cases, juveniles in custody, and other topics of interest. Each Bulletin in the series highlights selected topics at the forefront of juvenile justice policymaking, giving readers focused access to statistics on some of the most critical issues. Together, the National Report and this series provide a baseline of facts for juvenile justice professionals, policymakers, the media, and concerned citizens.

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Office of Justice Programs
Partnership for Safer Communities
www.ojp.usdoj.gov
June 2006

Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2002: Selected Findings

Melissa Sickmund

A Message From OJJDP

The Juvenile Residential Facility Census provides data on facility operations

Most states had fewer juvenile offenders held in residential placement facilities in 2002 than in 2000

In 20 states, the custody rate in 2002 was higher than the national custody rate

Facility type is related to the kind of agency that operates/staffs the facility

Security features and size vary across types of facilities

Facility crowding affects a substantial proportion of youth in custody

Most juvenile offenders are held in facilities that evaluate all youth for suicide risk on their first day

Half of juvenile offenders are in facilities where inhouse mental health professionals assess all youth

Deaths of juveniles in custody are relatively rare—suicide was the leading cause in 2002

Sources

NCJ 211080

This Bulletin was prepared under cooperative agreement number 1999–JN–FX–K002 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice.

Points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of Justice.

Acknowledgments

This Bulletin was written by Melissa Sickmund, Senior Research Associate at the National Center for Juvenile Justice, with funds provided by OJJDP to support the National Juvenile Justice Data Analysis Program.


The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.


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