NCJ Number
61400
Date Published
1979
Length
48 pages
Annotation
THE REPORT ANALYZES JUVENILE RE-REFERRAL PATTERNS TO DETERMINE RECIDIVISM RATES, TIME TO NEXT REFERRAL, MOST COMMON JUVENILE OFFENSES, ESCALATION, AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUVENILE AND ADULT ARREST RATES.
Abstract
BASED ON DATA FROM A SINGLE COUNTY, THE STUDY DETERMINED IF JUVENILES COULD BE IDENTIFIED BY AGE, SEX, RACE, OR REASON REFERRED, AS 'DELINQUENCY PRONE', SO THAT TREATMENT RESOURCES COULD BE CONCENTRATED ON THOSE GROUPS. PROPERTY CRIMES (SUCH AS BURGLARY, MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT, ARSON AND VANDALISM) RESULT IN PREDOMINANTLY JUVENILE ARRESTS, WHEREAS ARRESTS FOR VIOLENT PART I OFFENSES ARE MORE COMMON FOR ADULTS. JUVENILE ARRESTS AND AGE GROUPS WERE EXAMINED IN TWO WAYS: COMMON JUVENILE OFFENSES WERE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE WHAT PERCENT ARE COMMITTED BY EACH GROUP, SECONDLY, EACH AGE GROUP WAS EXAMINED INDIVIDUALLY FOR THE MOST COMMON ARREST CHARGES. CONCLUSIONS ARE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL. AGE, SEX, AND NATURE OF THE FIRST REFERRAL INFLUENCE WHETHER A JUVENILE WILL HAVE A SECOND JUVENILE REFERRAL (RECIDIVATE). PATTERNS FOR RE-REFERRAL FOR MALES AND FEMALES ARE DIFFERENT. ALSO EXAMINED ARE THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS WHO ARE LIKELY TO HAVE MULTIPLE REFERRALS, AND THE PROBABILITY OF RE-REFERRAL BEFORE AGE 18. TABLES ILLUSTRATE THIS. JUVENILES WHO REAPPEAR FOR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES TEND TO DO SO WITHIN PREDICTABLE TIME PATTERNS, WITH THE HIGHEST RETURN RATE BEING WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE THIRD REFERRAL. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A TENDENCY TO ESCALATE WITH EACH MALE JUVENILE OFFENSE. CHARTS AND GRAPHS COMPLEMENT THE TEXT. (RFC)