NCJ Number
99818
Date Published
Unknown
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This California study examines the recidivism rates and recidivism crime characteristics of first-time status offenders and first-time juvenile criminal offenders.
Abstract
This study was prompted by the new distinction in the handling of these two types of juvenile offenders under California's 1977 Juvenile Justice Reform Law. The study sample came from two previous studies. One sampled 3,026 juvenile offenders arrested in 1975 in 33 cities of Los Angeles County, and the second project sampled 762 juveniles arrested in 1976 and 1977 by 10 police departments representative of Los Angeles County. The present study drew its sample from the 1975 and 1976 arrests, producing a cohort of 588 first-time status and criminal offenders combined. Subsequent arrest histories were collected 3 to 4 years later. Findings indicate that first offenders, whether criminal or status offenders, are unlikely to recidivate. Both types of offenders have approximately a 30 percent chance of rearrest. Of status offender recidivists, about half will be rearrested for a criminal offense, most likely for a property offense (excluding petty theft). After the first rearrest, the original status offender will most likely be subsequently arrested for a criminal offense. Among status offender recidivists, however, status offenses are more common and criminal offenses less common than is the case for original criminal offenders. Tabular data and literature review.