Children in Custody - A Report on the 1977 and 1979 Censuses on Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities, November 1985

• NCJ Number: 99544
• Author(s): J J Stephan
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 213 pages
• Corporate Author: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report uses data from the 1977 and 1979 censuses of public and private juvenile custodial facilities to present a broad overview of trends in and statistics about these facilities and their residents, particularly as related to juvenile diversion and the provision of the least restrictive environment.

Abstract

Data reveal a pattern of continued growth in custodial facilities, staff, and expenditures, but a slowly diminishing resident population for the 1970's. Most of the population decline occurred among status offenders, particularly girls, indicating progress toward the goal of deinstitutionalization of nondelinquents. This decline was somewhat offset by an increase in the number of juveniles held as delinquents. Overall custody rates remained fairly level throughout, with an average rate of 247 per 100,000 age-relevant youth. Approximately 20 percent of juveniles in custody resided in short-term (preadjudication) facilities, with the remainder in long-term (postadjudication) residences. Rapid growth in group homes and community-oriented residences was a principal feature of the juvenile custody system during the period studied. Results suggest that trends are consistent with deinstitutionalization and least-restrictive environment goals. Appendixes provide extensive tabular data, methodological information, and a glossary.