NCJ Number
52956
Date Published
1978
Length
33 pages
Annotation
USING COHORT DATA FROM RACINE, WIS., THE RELATIONSHIP OF URBAN DELINQUENT CAREERS TO LATER ADULT CAREERS IS EXAMINED. POLICE CONTACTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED.
Abstract
THIS RESEARCH ALSO SET OUT TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DECISIONS BY AUTHORITIES OR BY THE JUVENILES THEMSELVES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO CAREERS. THIS STUDY WHICH TRIED TO UNCOVER FACTORS WHICH EITHER DETER OR SUPPORT CRIMINAL CAREERS, ALSO SOUGHT TO PINPOINT THE TIME FOR CRISIS INTERVENTION. POLICE RECORDS PROVIDED MOST OF THE DATA FOR THIS STUDY. A 1942 COHORT WITH 1,352 INDIVIDUALS, AND A 1949 COHORT WITH 2099 PERSONS WERE USED. ADDITIONAL DATA WERE OBTAINED BY INTERVIEWING 333 PERSONS FROM THE FIRST COHORT AND 566 PERSONS FROM THE SECOND. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN THE INNER CITY THERE WAS A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF POLICE CONTACTS WITH BLACKS AND CHICANOS. THESE CONTACTS TENDED TO BE MORE SERIOUS IN NATURE. OUTSIDE THE CITY, HOWEVER, DELINQUENCY AND CRIME WERE OBSERVED TO BE PRIMARILY BY WHITES. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT MOST CAREERS WERE NOT CONTINUOUS, AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS FAILED TO UNCOVER ANY UNDERLYING REASONS FOR POLICE CONTACT. EVEN CONTROLLING FOR AREA OF RESIDENCE, BLACKS RECEIVED HIGHER REFERRAL RATES. INTERVIEW DATA FAILED TO SHOW A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REGULARITY OF EMPLOYMENT AND OCCUPATIONAL LEVEL OF PARENTS. EMPLOYMENT REGULARITY AND OCCUPATIONAL LEVEL ALSO DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATE WITH NUMBER OF POLICE CONTACTS, TYPE AND SERIOUSNESS OF CRIME, OR CAREER PATTERNS. IN ADDITION, LITTLE CORRESPONDENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN CRIMINALITY AND THE IMPACT OF BROKEN HOMES. NUMBER OF POLICE CONTACTS DID DECREASE AS INDIVIDUALS IN THE COHORT GOT MARRIED. MAPS OF RACINE ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)