This study compares relevant court and police data. Results indicate that, once known to the police, young male offenders, between the ages of 14 and 21, have a differential probability of being sentenced by the courts that is a function of nationality. Since this disparity is found for German, Turkish, and Italian nationals for a wide variety of offenses, it cannot be explained by differences in the nature of the criminal activity. The relatively lower conviction rates of young foreigners are rather accounted for by the fact that this group is comparatively more often investigated by the police for petty offenses, and such cases are more likely to be dropped by prosecutors. 15 references. (English summary modified)