Data on the number and characteristics of youth in residential placement are reported for 2017, and trends are reported for the period from October 1997 through October 2017.
In 2017, males, youth over age 15, and white youth accounted for larger shares of committed than detained youth. The offense profiles for detained and committed youth were similar in 2017, with 42 percent being committed for person offenses, 23 percent for property offenses, 13 percent for technical violations, 13 percent for public-order offenses, 5 percent for drug offenses, and 5 percent for status offenses. In 2017. Local facilities held the greatest proportion of detained youth (59 percent) and the lowest percentage of committed youth (40 percent). In 2017, half of detained youth remained in placement 3 weeks after admission, and half of committed youth remained after 16 weeks. Relative declines in the number of youth in residential placement from 1999 to 2017 were greater for committed youth (65 percent) than for detained youth (45 percent). 5 figures