NCJ Number
58271
Date Published
1978
Length
22 pages
Annotation
STATISTICAL DATA ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRST COMMITMENT YOUTH, GATHERED FROM 1970 TO 1978, ARE PRESENTED; TRENDS IN SUCH COMMITMENTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED.
Abstract
DATA WERE ORIGINALY GATHERED FROM REFERRAL DOCUMENTS, CLINIC SUMMARIES, AND INITIAL HOME VISIT DATA FORMS, AND INCLUDE TYPES OF OFFENSES SUCH AS VIOLENT OFFENSES, PROPERTY, SEX NARCOTIC AND DRUG, WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE VIOLATIONS, AND OTHERS. IT IS NOTED THAT AFTER DECREASING TO A LOW OF 49 PERCENT, JUVENILE COURT ADMISSIONS HAVE INCREASED TO 58 PERCENT OF TOATAL FIRST ADMISSIONS. ETHNIC MINORITIES NOW CONSTITUTE 61 PERCENT OF ADMISSIONS; EIGHT YEARS AGO, ONLY 45 PERCENT OF ADMISSIONS WERE ETHNIC MINORITIES. IN ADDITION, VIOLENT TYPE OFFENSES REPRESENT 42 PERCENT OF ALL COMMITMENTS TO THE YOUTH AUTHORITY; IN 1970 THEY REPRESENTED ONLY 21 PERCENT. THE PROPORTION OF FEMALE FIRST COMMITMENTS HAS DROPPED SINCE 1970, WITH A CURRENT FIGURE OF 4 PERCENT. IN 1976, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUTH AUTHORITY HISTORY, MORE WARDS WERE COMMITTED FROM THE CRIMINAL COURTS THAN FROM JUVENILE COURT. AGE AT COMMITMENT HAS BEEN FAIRLY STABLE, WITH A MEDIAN OF 18 YEARS. A STEADILY INCREASING PROPORTION OF WARDS EITHER POSSESSED OR USED A WEAPON DURING THE COMMISSION OF THE CURRENT OFFENSE; THE PROPORTION OF WARDS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENSE, HOWEVER, DROPPED TO 27 PERCENT, THE LOWEST RATE SINCE 1974. IN 1978, MORE THAN 60 PERCENT OF THE WARDS HAD EXPERIENCED COUNTY COMMITMENTS PRIOR TO COMMITMENT TO THE YOUTH AUTHORITY. FINALLY, PAROLE AGENTS DESIGNATED NEGATIVE PEER GROUP INFLUENCES AND MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AS THE MAJOR PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY WARDS IN THE COMMUNITY PRIOR TO THE OFFENSE AND COMMITMENT. STATISTICAL DATA AND FOOTNOTES INCLUDED. (LWM)