NCJ Number
212148
Journal
Journal for Juvenile Justice Services Volume: 19 Issue: 1, 2 Dated: 2004 Pages: 47-57
Date Published
2004
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This nationwide study examined the physical security characteristics of juvenile residential facilities related to an increased risk of escape.
Abstract
The study used data from the Juvenile Residential Facilities Census (JRFC) and the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) to conduct a national assessment of the relationship between facility characteristics and the prevalence of escapes from staff or physical security. In October 2000, there were 3,690 facilities in the JRFC census universe. On the reference night of October 25, 2000, these facilities housed 110,284 youth. The JRFC questioned respondents about the number of any unauthorized departures of juveniles assigned beds at the facilities. The data show that 34 percent of the facilities had at least one unauthorized departure in the reference month. A comparison between the facilities that experienced an unauthorized departure and those that did not found many significant differences. Most of the facilities were small, low-security facilities such as halfway houses and group homes. Their purpose was to provide treatment and monitoring while allowing varying degrees of interaction with the community. This planned openness brings with it greater risks of unauthorized departures from staff supervision. Juveniles who escape from these facilities face placement in long-term secure facilities once they are located. The multivariate analysis found no single effective security measure other than having razor wire fences, which alone significantly reduced the risk of an escape. Controlling for characteristics of the facilities and the juveniles they housed, each additional security component resulted in significant reductions in the risk of escapes. Adding one more security component reduced the overall risk of escape by approximately 33 percent. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 6 references