NCJ Number
200125
Journal
Alaska Justice Forum Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2002 Pages: 1,6,8
Editor(s)
Antonia Moras
Date Published
2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This document provides juvenile arrest statistics for Alaska in 2000.
Abstract
Data for these statistics are from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Both in Alaska and in the country as a whole, most juvenile arrests continue to involve property crime rather than violence. The rate of juvenile arrests in Alaska for all types of offenses was not much different in 2000 than it was in 1991, although there were annual fluctuations in both the rate and overall number of reported arrests over the 10 year period. In 2000 there were 5,953 arrests. Juvenile arrests were about 16 percent of all arrests, which is similar to the national percentage for juvenile arrests. Of the 5,953 reported juvenile arrests in 2000, 2,082 were for the Index property crimes and 197 were for the Index violent crimes. Over the decade there was a rise in the number of arrests for violent crimes, but the actual number of such arrests was still low in comparison to those for property crimes. While close to 46 percent of those arrested for property crimes were juveniles, juvenile arrests were only 16 percent of those made for violent crimes. Juveniles become subject to the adult criminal justice system through an automatic waiver into the adult system, when charged with certain felonies; or through a discretionary waiver, when the court finds probable cause that the juvenile is delinquent and not amenable to treatment through the juvenile process before reaching the age of 20. Relatively few juveniles enter the adult system under a discretionary juvenile waiver. Seventeen inmates under age 18 were being held in various facilities throughout the State in May 1, 2002. In addition, there were 37 inmates aged 18 to 21 that had first entered correctional custody before they were 18. Only a small portion of juvenile arrests result in detention or participation in a program in a secure residential facility. Most are handled in other ways, including formal and informal probation. 2 figures, 2 tables