NCJ Number
34502
Date Published
1976
Length
32 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF JUVENILE COURT DRUG REFERRAL DATA TO IDENTIFY WHICH DRUGS JUVENILES WERE BEING CHARGED WITH POSSESSING AND SELLING AND TO DETERMINE THEIR CONTINUED USE AFTER ADJUDICATION.
Abstract
TWO SAMPLES WERE USED. THE FIRST REPRESENTED THE 199 OFFENDERS WHO APPEARED IN COURT BEFORE A JUDGE. THE SECOND WAS A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 48 OFFENDERS WHOSE CASES WERE HANDLED INFORMALLY. FROM THE DATA ON CASES HANDLED FORMALLY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FEW CASES INVOLVED HEROIN. OVER ONE HALF OF THE DANGEROUS DRUG OFFENSES INVOLVED SALE. BLACKS WERE MORE OFTEN CHARGED WITH MARIJUANA RELATED OFFENSES, AND BLACKS WERE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO CONTINUE DRUG USE AFTER DISPOSITION. INFORMAL CASE DATA INDICATED THAT ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE CASES INVOLVED SIMPLE POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA. SOLVENT ABUSERS WERE MOSTLY WHITE AND WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE REFERRED TO DRUG COUNSELING, AND DRUG OFFENDERS HANDLED INFORMALLY TENDED TO BE YOUNGER THAN THOSE HANDLED FORMALLY. RELEVANT DATA IS PRESENTED IN TABLES.