NCJ Number
183681
Date Published
2000
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics on juvenile delinquency and juvenile probation in Texas in fiscal year 1999, explains changes in the Texas juvenile probation system since 1995, and describes the work of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) during fiscal year 1999.
Abstract
Texas experienced one delinquent conduct referral to a juvenile probation department every 6 minutes. Referrals included 1 homicide referral every 4 days, 1 sexual assault referral every 5.5 hours, 1 aggravated assault or attempted homicide referral every 2.5 hours, and 1 property crime referral every 20.5 minutes. Police agencies in Texas arrested 172,441 juveniles ages 10-17 years; local juvenile probation agencies received referrals of 105,793 of these youths. Social agencies, schools, parents, and the Texas Youth Commission referred an additional 19,815 juveniles. Changes in the juvenile probation system in 1995 and subsequent years have included the development and implementation of the Progressive Sanctions Guidelines for handling juvenile cases and the creation of juvenile justice alternative education programs. Other changes have included the monthly electronic submission of detailed juvenile case files and the revision of the TJPC monitoring procedures through the implementation of a risk assessment system. TJPC also created a statewide registry for all public and private secure juvenile and holdover facilities in Texas. Juvenile probation agencies had 5,677 employees, of whom 1,843 carried a probation caseload. Tables and figures