NCJ Number
160816
Date Published
1993
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The availability of gang-related data in the automated information systems of juvenile courts nationwide was studied with emphasis on how courts collect this information, the definitional guidelines used, the form in which the information is collected and stored, and ways in which the information is used for court operations and case handling.
Abstract
Study information was gathered by means of a questionnaire survey mailed to 212 respondents selected to encompass all jurisdictions that supply data to the National Juvenile Court Data Archive, as well as at least one representative from the juvenile justice systems of the 150 largest counties. The 195 responses amounted to 92 percent of the sample. The analysis indicated that efforts to collect juvenile gang data are not as widespread among juvenile courts as might be expected. Twenty-five percent of the jurisdictions contacted for the study reported collecting gang-related data in any form, and 12 percent of the jurisdictions included gang-related data elements in an automated information system. Twenty-two percent of the jurisdictions that are not currently collecting gang- related data indicated that they may do so in the future. Recommendations, tables, and appended study instrument and list of contacts in the 150 counties