NCJ Number
44945
Date Published
1977
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THIS EXPLORATORY PAPER PRESENTS A 10-YEAR DATA SET ON FACTORS CORRELATED WITH DISPOSITIONS OF A RURAL COURT IN NORTH DAKOTA.
Abstract
SIX SPECIFIC GAMMA SETS WERE IDENTIFIED: (1) GENERALLY, AGE IS INVERSELY CORRELATED WITH THE SEVERITY OF COURT DISPOSITION. THIS REFLECTS THE TENDENCY OF YOUNGER REFERRAL CASES TO BE CHARGED WITH MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES AND THUS TO RECEIVE MORE SEVERE COURT ACTION. (2) BIVARIATE ANALYSIS LEADS ONE TO SUSPECT THAT GIRLS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN BOYS TO RECEIVE A MORE SERIOUS COURT DISPOSITION. (3) FOR 9 OF THE 10 YEARS, REFERRAL REASON IS INVERSELY CORRELATED WITH COURT DISPOSITION. THIS REFLECTS CRIMINAL OFFENSES RECEIVING A MORE SEVERE DISPOSITION THAN STATUS OFFENSES. (4) WHEN SEX IS CONTROLLED AND REFERRAL REASON IS CORRELATED WITH COURT DISPOSITION, IT IS FOUND THAT CRIMINAL REFERRALS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN STATUS REFERRALS TO RECEIVE A SEVERE DISPOSITION, I.E., IN 9 OF THE 10 YEARS FOR MALES AND 6 OF THE 10 YEARS FOR FEMALES. THESE FIGURES DO NOT LEAD ONE TO SUSPECT THAT GIRLS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN BOYS TO RECEIVE A MORE SEVERE DISPOSITION. A DEVIANCE PROCESSING ORGANIZATION THEME WAS SUGGESTED AS AN EXPLANATION FOR THESE PATTERNS. (5) THE CORRELATION BETWEEN 'COURT RECIDIVISM' AND DISPOSITION WAS FOUND TO BE QUITE UNEVEN DURING THE 10-YEAR PERIOD. (6) THIS NONUNIFORM PROFILE PROMPTED THE RESEARCH TEAM TO CORRELATE REFERRAL REASON WITH COURT DISPOSITION AND CONTROL FOR PREVIOUS COURT APPEARANCE OF THE JUVENILE. WHILE THE FIRST 5 YEARS REFLECT A TENDENCY FOR CRIMINAL OFFENSES TO RECEIVE MORE SERIOUS COURT DISPOSITIONS, THIS PATTERN DID NOT ALWAYS HOLD DURING THE SECOND 5-YEAR COMPONENT. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).