NCJ Number
202622
Date Published
February 2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This report provides data about West Virginia’s juvenile corrections population during the year 2000.
Abstract
During 2000, 171 juveniles aged 13 to 19 were committed to West Virginia’s Industrial Home for Youth (WVIHY), while 168 juveniles were released from correctional facilities during 2000. Of all the 2000 releases, 30.4 percent of those released were juveniles who had been committed during 2000. A graph illustrates West Virginia’s juvenile commitments from 1992 through 2000. The average length of stay in West Virginia’s two juvenile correctional facilities was 9.9 months in 2000, which was over 2 months longer than the average length of stay for those released from 1992 to 1999. The average age of those committed to West Virginia juvenile facilities was 16.6 years old, although 17 year olds were the most frequently committed age group during 2000. Additional demographic data indicate that 88.9 percent of incarcerated juveniles in 2000 were male and 83.6 percent were White. However, minorities were overrepresented in West Virginia’s juvenile correctional facilities as they comprised 16.4 percent of commitments but only 5.8 percent of West Virginia’s total juvenile population. Juvenile incarceration rates by the juvenile’s home county are presented, as are data concerning type of juvenile offense during 2000; property offenses were the most common charge leading to juvenile incarceration. Finally, information about capacity and daily population figures for West Virginia’s two juvenile correctional facilities are offered. Graphs, references