NCJ Number
134145
Date Published
1991
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This New Jersey study obtained data on all juveniles entering juvenile courts in the State between 1986 and 1989 to determine the number and characteristics of chronic juvenile offenders.
Abstract
The analysis was limited to court contacts between a juvenile and the court in that juvenile's county of residence. There were over 118,000 juveniles docketed in family court between 1986 and 1989. They averaged 2.1 court contacts each. Just over 3 out of 5 juveniles (64.8 percent) were docketed in court only once; 15.7 percent were docketed in court only once; 15.7 percent were docketed twice, and 6.9 percent were docketed three times. A small group of juveniles (12.6 percent) were docketed four or more times. This is the group designated as "chronic offenders." This group was responsible for almost half (46 percent) of all charges and an even larger share of serious offenses. Chronic offenders had their first contact with the court earlier than other offenders. The vast majority are male, and nearly two-thirds are minority youth (54.6 percent black and 10.8 percent Hispanic). Exploratory research on how chronic juvenile offenders are handled in three New Jersey counties indicates that the handling of these offenders (like juvenile offenders in general) differs across counties. These findings are intended for use by policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to devise strategies that will more effectively identify, control, and treat this offender population. 10 tables