NCJ Number
54422
Date Published
1977
Length
36 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EXAMINES HOW AND WHY CHILDREN COME TO DETENTION AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCH CHILDREN, ALONG WITH THE EXTENT TO WHICH ALTERNATIVES TO SECURE DETENTION HAVE BEEN USED IN FLORIDA.
Abstract
DURING THE 18-MONTH PERIOD FROM JULY 1975 THROUGH DECEMBER 1976, 154,890 DELINQUENCY CASES WERE REFERRED STATEWIDE TO YOUTH SERVICES. OF THIS NUMBER, 34,530 WERE ADMITTED TO DETENTION. DATA WERE GATHERED CONCERNING HOW CHILDREN COME TO DETENTION, POPULATION DESCRIPTION, LEGAL REPRESENTATION, UTILIZATION OF SECURE AND NONSECURE DETENTION, AND ESCAPES FROM SECURE DETENTION, AND STATISTICS ARE PROVIDED. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WERE THE MAIN REFERRAL SOURCE SENDING JUVENILES TO DETENTION, AS THESE AGENCIES ASSUMED THIS AUTHORITY AT THE INTAKE LEVEL. JUVENILES WERE DETAINED MOST FREQUENTLY TO PROTECT THE PERSON OR PROPERTY OF OTHERS OR THE JUVENILE HIMSELF AND TO ASSURE THE JUVENILE'S PRESENCE AT HIS NEXT COURT HEARING. JUVENILES MOST LIKELY TO BE DETAINED WERE THOSE CHARGED WITH SERIOUS FELONIES, ESCAPE, OR PROBATION VIOLATION, OR THOSE BROUGHT IN UNDER COURT ORDERS. OLDER, UNEMPLOYED JUVENILES WERE ALSO LIKELY TO BE DETAINED. ONCE DETAINED, YOUNGER JUVENILES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE ADMITTED TO A NONSECURE PROGRAM. FEMALES HAD A SLIGHTLY LOWER PROBABILITY OF ADMISSION TO NONSECURE CUSTODY. A MAIN POINT OF CONCERN IS THAT POPULATONS IN SECURE DETENTION HAVE NOT DECREASED, EVEN WITH THE INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF NONSECURE FACILITIES. SECURE DETENTION POPULATIONS ARE HIGHER THAN A YEAR AGO EVEN THOUGH INTAKE REFERAL RATES AND JUVENILE ARRESTS HAVE FALLEN. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT WAYS BE DEVELOPED TO FACILITATE EARLIER TRANSFERS INTO NONSECURE PROGRAMS, BOTH FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE JUVENILES INVOLVED AND THE REDUCTION IN THE COST OF DETENTION. THE RISE IN THE PROPORTION OF REFERRALS BEING DETAINED IS CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THE ESCALATION OF DETENTION POPULATIONS. THIS IS BELIEVED TO INDICATE A SHIFT IN INTAKE DETENTION SCREENING PRACTICES, WITH SOME JUVENILES BEING INAPPROPRIATELY DETAINED. (RCB)