BEXAR COUNTY (TX) JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT - ANNUAL REPORT, 1976

• NCJ Number: 58901
• Author(s): J C JOHNSON; E TURNER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 47 pages
• Corporate Author: Bexar Cty Juvenile Probation Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES OF THE BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS, JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT FOR 1976 ARE PRESENTED; MAJOR EVENTS WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT SECTION AND STATISTICAL DATA ARE INCLUDED.

Abstract

IN 1976 THERE WERE 3,771 ALLEGED OFFENSES CHARGED AGAINST JUVENILES FALLING WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS A DECREASE IN ALLEGED OFFENSES OF 283 OR 7 PERCENT UNDER THE 4,054 RECORDED IN 1975. CHARGED WITH THESE ALLEGED OFFENSES WERE 3,390 INDIVIDUALS, 222 OF WHOM WERE OUT-OF-STATE OR OUT-OF-COUNTY RESIDENTS. ALTHOUGH THIS FIGURE REPRESENTS ONLY THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE POPULATION, THE NUMBER IS CONSIDERED TOO HIGH. EIGHTY PERCENT OF REFERRALS WERE BOYS, MOSTLY 15 AND 16 YEAR OLDS. THE ALLEGED OFFENSES WERE USUALLY BURGLARY AND THEFTS. OF THE REFERRED CHILDREN, 57 PERCENT HAD NEVER BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE DEPARTMENT PREVIOUSLY; 80 PERCENT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADJUDICATED; 97 PERCENT WERE REFERRED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. COMPARATIVE DATA SHOW THAT IN THE PERIOD FROM 1972 THROUGH 1976 THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REFERRALS THAT HAD A DISPOSITIONAL TERMINATION. DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES FOR 1976 FOCUSED ON ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRUCTURING AND UTILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THE INTAKE REVISION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED INCREASING THE INTAKE STAFF TO A MINIMUM OF EIGHT, REQUIRING ALL NEW OR INACTIVE CASES TO BE ROUTED THROUGH THE REGULAR INTAKE SYSTEM, AND MAKING DISPOSITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE INTAKE LEVEL. FOR 1976, VOLUNTEERS IN PROBATION EXPERIENCED THE MOST PRODUCTIVE YEAR SINCE THE SECTION'S ESTABLISHMENT. AN AVERAGE OF 40 NEW VOLUNTEERS ENTERED THE PROGRAM EACH MONTH. THE RESEARCH AND TRAINING OFFICE EMPHASIZED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BY PROVIDING INFORMATION THROUGH PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS TO SCHOOLS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE IN THE BEXAR COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER INCLUDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A GROUPWORK SYSTEM, RESULTING IN INTENSIVE AND CONSTANT SUPERVISION OF ALL DETAINEES. STATISTICAL TABULAR DATA, APPENDIXES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)