This report presents data on juveniles admitted and released from State juvenile custodial facilities in 1998 for all 50 States and the District of Columbia.
Of these jurisdictions, 35 provided individual data on 14 variables on the characteristics of juveniles admitted to State custody and the public facilities to which they were admitted. The other 16 States provided aggregate counts on a limited number of variables that included the sex, race/ethnicity, admission and release status, and the most serious offense charged. The State Juvenile Corrections System Reporting Program (SJCSRP) does not collect data on juveniles admitted to local agencies' detention facilities or private facilities, with some exceptions (Massachusetts and Maryland hold a significant number of youth in private facilities). During 1993, 53,273 juveniles were admitted to State custody facilities, and 49,431 were released. Ninety percent of the admissions were males, and 46 percent were Black youths; 36 percent were white, and 14 percent were Hispanic. Fifty-six percent were new admissions, and 13 percent were parole violators. Most of the releases were to parole or aftercare (57 percent), and 12 percent were discharges. Property offenses were the most serious offense for nearly 40 percent of admitted youth, and person offenses were committed by almost 29 percent of the admitted youth. Public order offenses were the most serious offense for nearly 14 percent of the admitted juveniles.