NCJ Number
42859
Date Published
1976
Length
65 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY OF 5,666 ARRESTS OF NEW YORK CITY JUVENILES FOR 11 SPECIFIED CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE HOW MANY CHILDREN WERE ARRESTED FOR THESE CRIMES AND THE OUTCOME OF THEIR CASES.
Abstract
USING INFORMATION FROM POLICE RECORDS, PROBATION LOGS, AND JUVENILE COURT RECORDS, THIS STUDY TRACED THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT AND OUTCOME FOR EACH OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE SAMPLE OF 5,666 ARRESTS. IT WAS FOUND, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT 88.5 PERCENT OF THE YOUTHS ARRESTED WERE MALES WHILE THE OTHER 11.5 PERCENT WERE FEMALES. APPROXIMATELY 66.5 PERCENT OF THE CRIMINAL INCIDENTS INVOLVED JUVENILES ACTING ALONE, WHILE 33.5 PERCENT INVOLVED GROUPS. ROBBERY AND ASSAULT ACCOUNTED FOR 85 PERCENT OF THE ARRESTS. OF THE 2,472 CASES THAT WENT TO COURT, 8.5 PERCENT RESULTED IN COMMITMENT, 12.6 RESULTED IN PROBATION, 62.4 WERE DISMISSED, 7.7 RECEIVED 'OTHER' DISPOSITIONS, AND 9 PERCENT WERE STILL PENDING. FINALLY IT WAS FOUND THAT LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OF CASES SENT TO COURT CAME TO DISPOSITION WITHIN THREE MONTHS. THE AUTHOR CALLS FOR IMPROVED STATISTICS ON JUVENILE CRIME INQUIRY INTO POLICE JUVENILE ARREST PROCEDURES, AN END TO EXCESSIVE DELAY AND EVALUATION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM COMPONENTS....DMC