JUVENILE CORRECTIONSRick Ruddell & Matthew O.

Thomas

Chapter OneJuvenile Corrections: An Overview

Public Opinion Toward Juvenile Offenders

We used to perceive juvenile offenders as kids from troubled families who needed help, support and guidance

Our views of juvenile and crime are what shape the types of juvenile justice systems that we develop

When the public considers juvenile crime as out-of-control, youth are typically sentenced as adult offenders and sent to prison instead of trying to reform them in juvenile justice systems

The public generally supports a juvenile justice system that provides rehabilitation, support and guidance to youth in trouble with the law

The U.S. is the only nation where 13- and 14-year-olds can be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole (WAS)

Roper v. Simmons (2005) abolished the death penalty for crimes that 16- and 17-year-olds committed

Characteristics of Juvenile Facilities

Juvenile facilities are based on rehabilitation & punishment ( Department of Social Services V Department of Corrections)

Juveniles become adults at age: 16 (NY & NC) 17 (GA, IL, LA, MA, MI, MO, NH, SC, TC & WI) 18 (remaining states & DC)

Can be held in juvenile correctional facilities until their 21st birthday in most states (25th birthday in CA)

757 detention centers in the U.S. Average stay in juvenile hall is 2 weeks

Characteristics of Juvenile Facilities

Community Placements Most are on probation (most common sanction of juvenile

court) Must participate in alcohol or drug treatment, adhere to curfew,

continue their education, report to court when ordered, follow directions of & report to probation officer on a regular basis

Can include house arrest or electronic monitoring Group homes – generally open (free to come & go); required

to attend school, do chores, participate in group meetings Wilderness experience programs & boot camps – very

popular in the 1980s and 1990s Usually first-time non-violent offenders Constructively occupied dusk to dawn Typically there 3-6 months Found to be ineffective

Characteristics of Juvenile Facilities

Institutional Placements In 2006, about 93,000 youths held here Typically large, operated by state government &

closely resembles adult prisons with higher levels of security

State-raised youth – has a lengthy history of crime, including serious offenders, usually difficult to manage, previously living in foster care, often drawn to gangs, expresses antisocial beliefs

Who Resides in Juvenile Corrections?

In 2006, 92,854 youths were committed to state training schools or other out-of-home placements 15% were girls – of these 13,943 girls, 29% were

being held on violent offenses 1,951 young women (about 14%) are held for committing

acts that would not be crimes if they were older Between 1997 and 2006, girls’ arrest for violent

crimes decreased by 12%, males decreased by 22%; ; assaults committed by girls increased 19%, males decreased by 4%; arrests for driving under the influence by males decreased by 6%; girls increased 39%

Who Resides in Juvenile Corrections?

One of the biggest challenges is disproportionate minority contact (DMC) – from arrest to confinement, minority youth are overrepresented compared to their population in the community

Blacks and Latinos accounted for about 12.3% and 12.5% of the national population in 2000, Black juveniles represented about 40.2% of the residential population while Latinos accounted for 20.49% of the total in 2006.

------------------------------------- A 2004 study in Illinois and New Jersey of youth in

juvenile corrections populations reported that 18.9% suffered from anxiety disorders, 27% had mood disorders such as depression, and almost one-third had disruptive disorders

Who Resides in Juvenile Corrections?

Age of Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2006 12 & under 1,207 13 3,424 14 9,127 15 17,574 16 24,646 17 23,761 18 & older 13,115 Total of 92,854 juveniles

Younger residents often require more supervision as they tend to be more impulsive and disruptive than older adolescents

Incarcerated juveniles tend to have lower rates of educational or employment successes and they have histories of abuse and victimization

1,215,839 persons under the age of 18 years were arrested in 2007, a decrease of 20.4% from 1998