NCJ Number
180166
Date Published
1999
Length
209 pages
Annotation
This statistical report indicates there were 8,689 police apprehension reports in South Australia involving young people, 1.4 percent lower than in 1997 and 3.9 percent lower than in 1996.
Abstract
Most apprehensions involved males (80.2 percent) and youths 16 years of age and older (52.4 percent). Aboriginal youths accounted for 16.6 percent of reports. Larceny and receiving constituted the major allegation in 29.8 percent of apprehensions, followed by offenses against good order (17.2 percent) and drug offenses (12 percent). For 8,262 reports where the type of action taken was recorded, 34 percent resulted in a formal police caution, 45.1 percent were directed to the Youth Court, and 17.7 percent were referred to a family conference. The total 8,689 reports submitted in 1998 involved 5,108 discrete individuals, for an average of 1.7 apprehensions per youth. With respect to juveniles in custody, there were 1,342 admissions to South Australia's two youth training centers, 4 percent lower than 1,398 admissions recorded in 1997. Most admissions involved males (84.6 percent), and most of the juveniles were 16 years of age and older. Aboriginal youths comprised 3 in 10 admissions. On average, 72.46 youths were held in custody per day during 1998, compared to 91.85 in 1997. Detailed statistics are provided on formal cautions, family conferences, and cases heard in the Youth Court. An appendix presents additional statistics on juvenile offenses, police apprehensions, family conferences, the Youth Court, and juveniles in custody. Tables and figures