NCJ Number
138142
Date Published
1992
Length
224 pages
Annotation
Because a disproportionate number of black youth in Iowa secure facilities has been identified, this study examined referrals to three juvenile courts for the 1980 1989 period in order to statistically analyze whether disparity existed in case processing and outcomes for black, American Indian, and white youth with similar backgrounds and legal charges.
Abstract
Due to the relatively small number of nonwhites in Iowa, the determining factor for a county's inclusion in the study was the size of the minority youth population in that county. Three counties were selected for analysis, and stages in Iowa's juvenile justice system were used as the dependent variables. Independent variables included nonlegal or social characteristics and information pertaining to prior and current offenses and involvement with the juvenile justice system. Findings indicated that each of the three counties differed with respect to case processing and what factors influenced juvenile justice decisionmaking. Common characteristics, however, were the presence of race and gender disparities in case outcomes. With few exceptions, black youth were treated more harshly than white and American Indian youth. Females received both harshness and leniency. Race and gender effects were conditioned by the county and the stage of the juvenile justice system examined. The importance of focusing on multiple stages of juvenile justice proceedings to assess race and gender effects is stressed, as well as the need to identify and control for jurisdictional differences in juvenile justice decisionmaking. Further research is recommended to include Hispanic youth in the analysis. Appendixes contain statistical data on the distribution of study variables in each county. 44 references and 14 tables