NCJ Number
202597
Date Published
August 2003
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This document provides juvenile justice statistics for California in 2002.
Abstract
Misdemeanor arrests exceeded felony arrests by more than two to one and status offense arrests by more than three to one. Running away was the only offense not dominated by males. Juveniles aged 15 to 17 represented more than two-thirds of the total juvenile arrests. Over 20 percent of the juveniles arrested were “counseled and released” by law enforcement and 76.7 percent were referred to county probation departments for further action. One-fourth of the new referrals to probation were female offenders. More than one-fourth of the assault and burglary referrals to probation were for offenders aged 12 to 14. Over 80 percent of referrals handled by probation departments were “closed at intake.” Over 53 percent of petitions filed for formal juvenile court action were for first-time offenders. Males accounted for 88.8 percent of the vandalism petitions filed in juvenile court. Juveniles aged 15 to 17 represented over 72 percent of the subsequent petitions filed in juvenile court. The majority (55.2 percent) of juveniles made a ward of the court were allowed to go home. Hispanic and White juveniles combined accounted for more than three-fourths of all reported juvenile arrests. When compared to their statewide race/ethnic group population, whether being “detained” or “not detained,” Hispanic and Black juveniles were overrepresented. When compared to their statewide race/ethnic group population, whether being “represented” or “not represented”, Hispanic and Black juveniles were overrepresented. When compared to their statewide race/ethnic group population, for Youth Authority commitments, Hispanics and Blacks were overrepresented. The ethnic composition of California’s overall juvenile population is 41.2 percent Hispanic, 38.9 percent White, 7.2 percent Black, 12.1 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and 0.5 percent American Indian. 12 tables, 5 appendices