NCJ Number
154413
Date Published
1995
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examines trends in juvenile delinquency in Hawaii since the State's reform of its youth correction system in the late 1980's.
Abstract
The reform efforts were designed to develop and expand the network of community-based programs and limit the use of secure confinement to youth who pose a clear and substantial threat to the community. Today, Hawaii has a new 30-bed, high-security treatment unit for violent and chronic juvenile offenders. Community-based programs have been developed for other juvenile offenders. These programs provide an appropriate level of surveillance, supervision, and services required for juveniles who are kept in their own homes, neighborhoods, and communities. Data show that although arrests of juveniles increased substantially during the last decade, nearly half of that increase was due to the number of youth arrested for noncriminal status offenses. Serious crimes of violence committed by juveniles increased, but not dramatically over the last decade, and property offenses committed by juveniles declined. Police estimates of gang membership show an increase, but interpretation of these increases is problematic given the arrest-trend data. The arrest data, therefore, do not support the hypothesis that a reduction in the juvenile security-custody population will result in an increase in juvenile crime/arrests. The data do call for more attention to status offenders. Model diversion programs for the many status offenders currently being arrested should be strengthened to ensure that these noncriminal cases do not inappropriately find their way into the juvenile justice system. 1 table, 5 figures, and 10 references