NCJ Number
86191
Date Published
1982
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examines the background characteristics and judicial dispositions of juveniles arrested for serious (Part I) felony crimes in Oregon in 1979 and processed as adults.
Abstract
About 90 percent of the 95 juveniles processed as adults were white males, and the mean age at arrest was 17.42 years. The fact that most of these juveniles were nearing the age at which juvenile court jurisdiction ends (age 18) may indicate that the juvenile justice system deemed them not to be amenable to rehabilitation under existing programs for juveniles. Only about 15 percent of the juveniles had one or more prior arrests in Oregon. This does not include any prior juvenile court referrals; however, 61.1 percent had one or more subsequent arrests (after 1979) for some type of offense or ordinance violation. Compared to adult arrests during the same period, the conviction rate for the juvenile arrestees was substantially higher. The incarceration rate for the juveniles was slightly higher than for all 1979 serious felony arrestees. A total of 76.2 percent of the convictions included only one type of sentence or sentence penalty. The remainder all involved some combination of incarceration, probation, or fine, including three convictions with all three penalties imposed. Tabular data and 14 footnotes are provided. (Author summary modified)