Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2013

• NCJ Number: 249507
• Author(s): Sarah Hockenberry
• Date Published: May 2016
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP National Report Series
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Survey; Statistics; Report (Annual/Periodic)

Annotation

This report presents data on the number and characteristics of youth held in State public and private residential correctional facilities in 2013 under dispositions for delinquency and status offenses.

Abstract

The 2013 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the number of youth in residential placement nationwide continues to decline. In 1997, 105,055 youth were held in out-of-home placement. Although the number of youth in confinement increased 4 percent between 1997 and 1999, by 2013 that number had decreased 50 percent, to 54,148, its lowest level. Relative declines from 1997 to 2013 were greater for committed youth than for detained youth. Females composed 14 percent of the placement population in 2013, and they were slightly younger than male residents (peak age of 16 years old compared to 17 years old). Males were more likely to stay in facilities longer than females. Minority youth composed 68 percent of youth in residential facilities in 2013, with Black males being the largest of the minority residents. The national detention rate for Black youth was nearly six times the rate for white youth, and their commitment rate was just over four times the rate for white youth. In 2013, person offenses were involved in the cases for the largest share of both detained and committed youth in 28 States; however, in 12 States, technical violations of court or corrections mandated conditions accounted for a greater portion of detained offenders than did person offenses. In 2013, 35 percent of committed offenders and 7 percent of detained offenders remained in placement 6 months after admission. The average time in the facility varied by adjudication status, offense, and facility type. Extensive tables and figures