NCJ Number
190268
Date Published
July 2001
Length
77 pages
Annotation
This 2000 Annual Report of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission provides information and data on the magnitude and nature of juvenile criminal activity and the juvenile probation system's response.
Abstract
During calendar year 2000, police agencies in Texas processed 143,904 arrests of juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17. Of this number, 55,412 were warned and released, handled in justice and municipal court, or diverted; 88,492 were referred to juvenile probation departments. Social agencies, parents, schools, and the Texas Youth Commission referred another 24,654 cases to the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, bringing to 113,146 the total number of referrals to juvenile probation departments. This was a decrease of 5,850 (4.9 percent) referrals from the previous year. Decreases occurred in all referral categories, with the exception of violation of probation orders, which increased 3.8 percent from 1999. All of the 254 counties received services through 164 juvenile probation departments in 2000. These departments were staffed by 6,461 employees, 1,957 of whom carried a probation caseload. Counties registered and operated 43 secure preadjudication residential facilities, 8 holdover facilities, and 28 secure postadjudication residential facilities. In addition to the county-operated facilities, private contractors provided services for juveniles in 18 preadjudication facilities and 13 postadjudication secure facilities. These facilities provided a combined total of 2,261 preadjudication, 40 holdover, and 2,281 postadjudication beds. In 2000, 51,488 juveniles were held in secure detention facilities prior to adjudication hearings. Approximately 30 percent of those detained were released in less than one day. An additional 7,808 placements were made to residential facilities. Juvenile probation departments disposed of 9,458 cases by dismissing or withdrawing the complaints, provided supervisory caution to 26,270 referrals, and initiated 15,234 deferred prosecutions. Juvenile prosecutors, independently or through their juvenile courts, entered 2,044 supervisory cautions, 5,591 deferred prosecutions, and 28,173 new or modified probation orders. Juvenile courts also committed 2,650 juveniles to the Texas Youth Commission and certified 198 juveniles to stand trial as adults. A total of 22,834 cases were refused prosecution, dismissed, consolidated, or otherwise disposed. Extensive tables and figures and appended data on juvenile referral activity, juvenile disposition activity, juvenile supervision workload activity, and juvenile detention and residential placement activity