JUVENILE ADJUDICATIONS IN THE NORTH PUGET SOUND REGION (WA) BEFORE AND AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RCW

• NCJ Number: 60090
• Author(s): S READIO; K HEPPELL
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 54 pages
• Corporate Author: Northwest Regional Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

JUVENILE ADJUDICATIONS IN FOUR WASHINGTON COUNTIES AFTER IMPLEMENTATION IN THE BASIC JUVENILE COURT ACT ARE COMPARED WITH ADJUDICATIONS BEFORE ITS IMPLEMENTATION.

Abstract

EXISTING DATA WITHIN THE AGENCIES MOST DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTING THE NEW LAW WERE USED TO COMPARE RESULTS FROM THE FIRST HALF OF 1978 WITH THOSE IN THE SECOND HALF AFTER THE LAW TOOK EFFECT. IN ISLAND COUNTY, FELONY LEVEL DISPOSITIONS DROPPED TO 19.6 PERCENT IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1978, COMPARED WITH 33.3 PERCENT IN THE FIRST HALF. THE RATES OF PROSECUTORS' FILINGS, TRANSFERS, AND FINDINGS OF INSUFFICIENCY DROPPED SLIGHTLY, WHILE THE DIVERSION RATE INCREASED. CONVICTED OFFENDERS WERE GIVEN AN AVERAGE OF THREE OBLIGATIONS SUCH AS COMMUNITY SERVICE AFTER THE LAW'S IMPLEMENTATION, VERSUS TWO BEFORE. COMMUNITY SERVICE REPLACED CONFINEMENT AS THE MOST COMMON DISPOSITION. IN WHATCOM COUNTY, THE PROPORTION OF FORMAL DISPOSITIONS INCREASED, BUT TYPICAL SENTENCES DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. IN SAN JUAN COUNTY, THE FILING RATE INCREASED AND THE DIVERSION RATE ACCORDING TO A STATE SIMULATION STUDY, WAS GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED. IN SKAGIT COUNTY, AN INCREASED PROPORTION OF CONVICTED OFFENDERS WAS REQUIRED TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE, WHILE BOTH THE PERCENTAGE CONFINED AND THE LENGTH OF CONFINEMENT DROPPED SHARPLY. NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL FINDINGS AND EXTENSIVE TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)