DISCRETION IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM - THE IMPACT OF CASE CHARACTERISTICS ON PREHEARING DETENTION (FROM JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - LITTLE BROTHER GROWS UP, 1977 BY THEODORE N FERDINAND - SEE NCJ-44943)

• NCJ Number: 44944
• Author(s): T DUNGWORTH
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 25 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Michigan State University
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A SET OF CASE CHARACTERISTICS AND PREHEARING DETENTION PRACTICES IN THE CALHOUN COUNTY, MICHIGAN, JUVENILE COURT IS INVESTIGATED.

Abstract

IT IS SHOWN THAT ZERO ORDER ASSOCIATIONS OF VARYING STRENGTH EXIST BETWEEN THE DETENTION DECISION AND AGE, SEX, RACE, OFFENSE CLASSIFICATION, STATUS OF THE HOME, STABILITY OF THE HOME, NUMBER OF PREVIOUS REFERRALS TO THE COURT, AND THE EXISTENCE OF PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL. OF THESE, THE OFFENSE TYPE AND THE NUMBER OF PREVIOUS REFERRALS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS SUPPORTS THE CONCLUSION THAT REFERRAL HISTORY AND SCHOOL PROBLEMS ARE OF PRIME IMPORTANCE IN PREDICTING THE DECISION, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF OFFENSE COMMITTED. THE DECISION IS ALSO STRONGLY RELATED TO OFFENSE CLASSIFICATION, THOUGH IT IS NOT MEANINGFUL TO INCLUDE ALL THREE CATEGORIES OF OFFENSE (FELONY, MISDEMEANOR, AND STATUS) IN THE ANALYSIS, SINCE THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OFFENSE AND DECISION IS NONLINEAR. TWO SEPARATE MODELS ARE ESTIMATED, ONE FOR JUVENILES COMMITTING ADULT OFFENSES AND ONE FOR THOSE COMMITTING STATUS OFFENSES. THE TWO MODELS DIFFER IN THAT HOME FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE STATUS MODEL, BUT ARE MINOR IN THE ADULT MODEL. THE TWO ALSO DIVERGE WITH RESPECT TO AGE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR THE ADULT OFFENSE DECISION BUT NOT FOR THE STATUS DECISION, AND WITH RESPECT TO RACE, WHERE THE SITUATION IS REVERSED. THE SEX OF THE OFFENDER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE RELEVANT IN EITHER MODEL. COURT DECISIONMAKING EXHIBITS A RELATIVELY HIGH DEGREE OF 'RATIONALITY' (71.2 PERCENT PREDICTABLE) IN DECISIONS ABOUT FELONY AND MISDEMEANOR OFFENDERS, WITH NONOFFENSE CHARACTERISTICS BEING MORE IMPORTANT FOR DECISIONS ABOUT THE LATTER THAN ABOUT THE FORMER. DECISIONS ABOUT STATUS OFFENDERS ARE 'RATIONAL' TO A LESSER DEGREE (65.9 PERCENT PREDICTABLE). SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).