NCJ Number
94490
Date Published
1982
Length
31 pages
Annotation
An analysis of the 1979 national public facility Children in Custody Survey data was conducted to determine how Michigan public custody practices compared with those of other States for that year.
Abstract
Analysis includes presentations for all States but Vermont of admissions, admission rates, average length of stay, total child care days, child care rates by placement type (detention, shelter care, reception-diagnostic facilities, training schools, ranch camp/farm, and group home/halfway house), and staffing levels for various placement types. Significant, positive relationships were found between population size and number of custodial admissions, population size and the number of placement types available, and number of placement types and total admissions. Wide interstate variability was found in number of placement types available, rate of use of out-of-home-placements and all placements, and staffing for various placements. Michigan was found to be one of only three States offering all six placement types. Average length of stay in the State was longer than the national median for all placements except group homes/halfway houses. Compared to other States, Michigan's use of detention was very high for admissions, admission rates, length of stay, total days of care, and total days of care rate. Use of training schools was low for child care day rate and admission rate, high for average length of stay, and near the national median for total days of care and admissions. Michigan's use of out-of-home care was close to the national median. Implications of the findings are discussed, and recommendations for research and custodial care practices are presented.