NCJ Number
167231
Journal
Crime & Delinquency Volume: 43 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1997) Pages: 328-344
Date Published
1997
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Variables related to court decisionmaking and recidivism over a 2-year follow-up were studied in a group of 475 first-time referrals to a juvenile court.
Abstract
Data were coded from juvenile case files maintained by the court, and an effort was made to obtain all potentially relevant data that were consistently available in the files. Two-thirds of the referrals were male and approximately 96 percent were white. At the time of first court referral, juveniles ranged in age from 6 to 17 years, with an average age of 13.9 years. More than 85 percent of the juveniles were referred to the court by State and local official agencies. The two most common referral sources were law enforcement agencies (73.1 percent) and parents or stepparents (15 percent). Results showed recidivism was more consistently associated with extralegal factors than court actions, except on the age variable. Court actions were more strongly related to legally relevant factors and, like the referral offense variable, failed to predict recidivism. The court's extensive and repeated reliance on diversion versus formal petitioning of cases did not generate high recidivism levels, implying a need to reconsider the recent "get tough" orientation of the juvenile justice system. 53 references, 3 notes, and 3 tables