State Custody Rates, 1997

• NCJ Number: 183108
• Author(s): Melissa Sickmund
• Date Published: December 2000
• Length: 4 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1999-JN-FX-K002
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This report uses data from the 1997 Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) to analyze State custody rates for juvenile offenders, with emphasis on the types of facilities used (public versus private) for delinquent and status offenders.

Abstract

The report noted that CJRP improves custody rate statistics in several ways, particularly through its inclusion of State-specific custody rates for private facilities. The analysis determined custody rates for each State as of October 29, 1997, based on the State where the offense occurred. Results revealed that most status offenders are held in private facilities, whereas most delinquent offenders are detained in public facilities. California led the States in custody rates based on delinquents held in public facilities, but the District of Columbia led when the data included public and private facility data for both delinquent and status offenders. Several States used private facilities for less than 10 percent of offenders in residential placement, but other States placed as many as 66 percent of offenders in private facilities. Most States made little or no use of out-of-State private facilities; other States placed as many as 29 percent of offenders in them. Findings revealed that information on the relative use of public and private facilities from State to State is important in understanding State-specific custody rates and that knowing what types of offenders States place in what types of residential facilities can be useful. Tables