NCJ Number
214379
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2006 Pages: 1-5,27,33
Date Published
March 2006
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the risk faced by the youth involved with the Probation Supervision Department of Cuyahoga County, OH, Juvenile Court Division when compared with general population youth.
Abstract
Youths who received Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court probation supervision and secure custody placement were more at risk than their general population peers. However, the extent of these at-risk differences across many demographics and characteristics is surprising and requires policymakers’ immediate attention. Juvenile justice system probation departments need to complete full socio-historical, psychological, and psychiatric assessments for each youth at time of intake. There must also be a proactive focus on youths at risk of secure-custody placement. Coordinated efforts should also include all other youths and family support systems. Lastly, continued early identification and assessment in each juvenile justice jurisdiction of at-risk youths and families is necessary to determine additional legal, social, probation, and prevention interventions. The probation-supervised youths were disproportionately male, Black, and almost one-half were under probation supervision for at least the second time. Youth in the probation-supervised population who experienced a secure facility placement were even more at risk for physical abuse, lower family incomes, academic failure, adoption, substance abuse, increased number of court offenses, and earlier juvenile justice involvement. Using a simple random sample of youth who received probation supervision from the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Probation Supervision Department in 2003 (n=3,880), this study was conducted to determine how at risk the youths within the Juvenile Court Probation Supervision Department were when compared with their general population peers. Tables