U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Negative Effect of Racial Discrimination on Minority Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

NCJ Number
126241
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 87-93
Author(s)
W K Brown; W A Rhodes; T P Miller; R L Jenkins
Date Published
1990
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Discriminatory treatment of black adolescents in our juvenile justice system has been reported to contribute to an unfavorable adult outcome for such adolescents.
Abstract
In a long term follow-up of 500 randomly selected cases of adolescents adjudicated delinquent in the Dauphin County (Pennsylvania) Juvenile Court during the years 1960-75, minority (black) adolescents received discriminatory lenience in that they were treated like younger children. Those who received such lenient treatment had a higher rate of adult conviction than those not so treated. 4 tables and 15 references. (Author abstract)