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DIFFERENTIAL DETENTION/JAILING OF JUVENILES - A COMPARISON OF DETENTION AND NON-DETENTION COURTS

NCJ Number
52507
Journal
Pepperdine Law Review Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (1978) Pages: 795-807
Author(s)
J H KRAMER; D J STEFFENSMEIER
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EXPLORES WHETHER VARIATIONS IN THE USE OF DETENTION CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE AVAILABILITY OF A DETENTION HOME AND/OR CHARACTERISTICS OF AND TYPES OF OFFENSES COMMITTED BY JUVENILES REFERRED TO COURT.
Abstract
DATA FOR THE STUDY WERE OBTAINED FROM DELINQUENCY CASES REFERRED TO 45 COUNTY JUVENILE COURTS OF A LARGE EASTERN STATE FROM 1973 THROUGH 1975. COURTS WITH AND COURTS WITHOUT A DETENTION HOME WERE COMPARED (ONLY 23 HAD A DETENTION HOME). FOR COURTS WITH A DETENTION HOME, THE EFFECT OF A JUVENILE'S PRIOR COURT CONTACTS, OFFENSES, SEX, AND RACE ON DETENTION WAS EXAMINED. THE SMALL NUMBER OF WHITE FEMALES AND NONWHITES IN COURTS WITHOUT A DETENTION HOME PRECLUDED THEIR INCLUSION IN THE STUDY. APPROXIMATELY 25 PERCENT OF ALL JUVENILES IN STATE COURTS WERE DETAINED PRIOR TO DISPOSITION. OF DETAINED JUVENILES, 69 PERCENT WERE PLACED IN DETENTION HOMES, 5 PERCENT WERE KEPT IN JAILS OR POLICE STATIONS, AND THE REMAINDER WERE PLACED IN OTHER FACILITIES INCLUDING SHELTER HOMES. AMONG THE 23 COURTS WITH A DETENTION HOME, THE PERCENT OF JUVENILES DETAINED RANGED FROM 9 TO 45 PERCENT. AMONG THE 21 COURTS WITHOUT A DETENTION HOME, 0 TO 30 PERCENT OF JUVENILES WERE DETAINED. THE LIKELIHOOD OF DETENTION WAS RELATED PROPORTIONATELY TO THE AVAILABILITY OF DETENTION FACILITIES, AND COURTS WITH A DETENTION HOME JAILED A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF JUVENILES THAN COURTS WITHOUT A DETENTION HOME. JUVENILE CODE OFFENDERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE DETAINED THAN OTHER OFFENDERS. IN COUNTIES WHERE DETENTION FACILITIES WERE AVAILABLE, THERE WAS A CONSISTENT TENDENCY TO LOCK UP JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDERS. JUVENILES WITH NO PRIOR COURT CONTACT WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE DETAINED IN COUNTIES WHERE DETENTION FACILITIES WERE PRESENT. NONDETENTION COUNTIES, HOWEVER, WERE MORE LIKELY TO DETAIN PERSON, PROPERTY, AND DRUG OFFENDERS WHO HAD ONE OR MORE COURT CONTACTS. FEMALES WERE DETAINED MORE FREQUENTLY FOR STATUS OFFENSES THAN MALES BUT WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE DETAINED FOR CRIMINAL OFFENSES. MALES WERE DETAINED MORE FREQUENTLY FOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND HAD A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF BEING JAILED THAN FEMALES. BLACK MALES IN PARTICULAR WERE LIKELY TO BE DETAINED FOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS. IN GENERAL, THE RACE VARIABLE HAD LITTLE OVERALL EFFECT ON DETENTION PRACTICES. SUPPORTING STUDY DATA ARE TABULATED. (DEP)