NCJ Number
90090
Date Published
1982
Length
203 pages
Annotation
Followup arrest data on delinquent youths incarcerated in California Youth Authority (CYA) institutions during the 1960's suggest that some important indicators of later chronic criminal and violent behavior are manifest and observable at an early age and that even a moderately successful intervention strategy might provide substantial crime reduction benefits.
Abstract
Records of the California Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification, the FBI, and the Bureau of Vital Statistics provided information on the adult years of peak criminal activity, 18-26, for 3 samples: 1,622 older male teenagers committed to the Preston School of Industry in 1966-67; 960 male adolescents placed at the CYA's Northern California Youth Center (CYC) from 1969 to 1971; and 210 preadolescent boys sent to the Fricot Ranch School from 1960-63. Most of the sample engaged in serious criminal activity as adults, with 86 percent being classified as chronic offenders. While over half the youths from Preston and CYC were arrested at least once within the first year of parole, usually for minor offenses, the time to first violent or property offense was considerably longer. Compared to nonchronics, the chronic offenders more often came from families of lower socioeconomic status, had more siblings, were more retarded in school and more negative about school, were younger at first police contact, had longer police records, expressed more antisocial attitudes, and were more hostile and less conforming. Black youths were more often chronic offenders in relation to their numbers in the samples. Analysis of the Fricot data suggested a possible correlation between brain abnormalities and criminality, particularly violent behavior. Tables, about 40 references, and coding materials are appended.