NCJ Number
229157
Date Published
May 2007
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This report provides an analysis of recent juvenile detention trends in San Francisco, CA.
Abstract
Based on the data reviewed by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ), it appears that detention in San Francisco is being utilized more frequently for juveniles referred to the juvenile court even though the numbers of total youth involved in the system may be lower. This data, coupled with the high rates of detention among African-American and Latino youth, indicates that African- American youth are almost 3 times as likely to be detained upon arrest as White youth and Latino youth are almost 6 times as likely to be detained upon arrest as White youth. Because the numbers in the Youth Guidance Center (YGC) have increased drastically in the last several months, the reasons for which San Francisco children are being detained must be evaluated. As alternative measures to prevent crime and promote public safety continue, the disproportionate confinement of African-American and Latino youth should also be considered. When a San Francisco youth comes into contact with law enforcement, several important decisions are made to determine whether that child will be detained in the YGC or sent home. In an analysis of recent juvenile detention trends in San Francisco, CJCJ compiled data about the juvenile population vulnerable to detention in the YGC. The data includes number of youth arrested by ethnicity over the last 15 years, the number of youth detained by ethnicity over the last 15 years, and the rates of both. Sources and note