NCJ Number
58701
Date Published
1978
Length
40 pages
Annotation
DATA ARE PRESENTED ON JUVENILES PROCESSED THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA COURTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1977.
Abstract
STATEWIDE JUVENILE REFERRALS TO THE COURTS HAVE REMAINED AT ABOUT 17,000 FOR 1976 AND 1977, WITH THE PERCENTAGE REFERRED BEING 3.34 PERCENT IN 1977 AND 3.43 PERCENT IN 1976. DISTRIBUTION BY RACE AND SEX HAS VARIED LITTLE OVER THE 2 YEARS; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A 3 PERCENT INCREASE IN 1977 IN 16 YEAR OLDS, WHILE THE NUMBER OF YOUTH IN THE 7-16 AGE GROUPS HAS DECREASED. OFFENSE DATA SHOW LITTLE VARIATION FROM 1976, WITH ABOUT 25-30 PERCENT OF THE OFFENSES BEING STATUS CHARGES. TRUANCY IS THE MOST FREQUENT STATUS OFFENSE, AND LARCENY AND BREAKING AND ENTERING ARE THE MOST PREVALENT NONSTATUS OFFENSES. TWO-THIRDS OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN AT INTAKE WERE 'PETITIONS FOR ADJUDICATION,' WITH THIS ACTION PREDOMINATING IN TWO OF THREE CASES IN THE NONSTATUS GROUP. REFERRALS TO SOCIAL SERVICES WERE PREVALENT IN THE STATUS OFFENDER GROUP. DISPOSITION DISTRIBUTIONS PARALLELED 1976, WITH 'PROBATION' ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT 31 PERCENT OF DISPOSITIONS; 'DISMISSED,' 13 PERCENT; 'RESEARCH AND EVALUATION,' 11 PERCENT; AND 'COMMITMENT TO INSTITUTIONS,' 5 PERCENT. THE STATESIDE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR JUVENILES WAS ABOUT 32 PERCENT; OVER 57 PERCENT OF THE RECIDIVISTS HAD A PRIOR NONSTATUS CHARGE. OF THE 43 PERCENT WITH A HISTORY OR PRIOR STATUS OFFENSES, OVER 70 PERCENT HAD RECIDIVATED ON A STATUS OFENSE. MOST OF THE NEGLECT AND ABUSE CASES INVOLVED WHITE YOUTH (77 PERCENT), MALES (54 PERCENT), AND THOSE IN THE 7 YEARS AND UNDER AGE CATEGORY (44 PERCENT). OVER THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CASES WERE FOR NEGLECT. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)