NCJ Number
170858
Date Published
1997
Length
164 pages
Annotation
Phase II ("Assessment") of this New York State study was designed to identify case processing decisions that result in minorities penetrating further into criminal and juvenile justice systems than whites.
Abstract
Phase I and Phase II research were conducted in New York City, Monroe County, and Erie County. The study found few disparities in processing decisions following arrest. The analyses examined detention of arrestees in Erie County and the city of Rochester and found no disparities. There were no disparities in forwarding cases from probation intake to the presentment agency in New York City. Disparities at this decision point in Erie and Monroe counties were mostly attributable to legitimate factors. Where the necessary data were available, the analyses found no disparities in forwarding cases from the presentment agency to family court, no disparities in fact- finding, and no disparities in adjudication decisions. Disproportionate minority confinement was primarily a product of higher arrest rates of minorities compared to whites. In New York City, arrest rates for juvenile offenses were 19 times higher for blacks than for whites, and they were 9 times higher for Hispanics. The reasons why minority arrest rates exceed those for whites are largely beyond the scope of this study. The differences may reflect factors outside the purview of the justice system, including differences in criminal behavior, attitudes of parents and complainants, school policies and procedures, the availability of certain diversion programs, and the availability of certain early intervention programs for high- risk youth. 55 tables