NCJ Number
189748
Date Published
1999
Length
57 pages
Annotation
In Texas a juvenile who commits a capital or first-degree felony at the age of 14, or who commits any felony at age 15 or 16 may be certified by a juvenile court to stand trial in an adult court; this is commonly referred to as "certification;" this report reviews recent trends in certification in Texas.
Abstract
The Criminal Justice Policy Council analyzed detailed computerized records of juvenile dispositions in 12 counties, which accounted for 52 percent of the statewide juvenile referrals reported to the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission and 74 percent of certifications in 1996. A small proportion of cases eligible for certification were certified, and the proportion of cases certified varied by county. The cases most likely to be certified were those that involved the most severe violent offenses. Not all cases certified received prison sentences in the adult system. The study found that the juvenile system was "front loaded" with a disproportionate number of African-Americans. Hispanics were represented at almost the same level as their representation in the general population, and Anglos were underrepresented. African-Americans and Hispanics accounted for the majority (78 percent) of violent juveniles eligible for certification and the highest proportion of juveniles with a prior adjudication record. African-American, and to a lesser extent, Hispanic juveniles were more likely to be certified than Anglos even if they were disposed for the same offense, were the same age, and had a similar record of prior adjudication in the juvenile system. In the adult system, certified Hispanics were less likely to receive prison sentences than certified African-Americans or Anglos. Although more likely to be sentenced to prison, African-Americans received shorter sentences than Anglos or Hispanics. Extensive figures and tables