NCJ Number
172941
Date Published
1998
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This report presents the racial identification of juvenile cases at various stages and dispositions in the Florida juvenile justice system in fiscal year 1996-97 and indicates that cases involving minority juveniles were disproportionately represented at almost every stage in each district.
Abstract
This disproportionate representation increased with the severity of the disposition. Minority youths statewide were less likely to be diverted and more likely to be committed or transferred to the adult court than were white youths. Black youths made up 23 percent of Florida's population between ages 10 and 17 years, but 41 percent of the intake cases disposed in fiscal year 1996-97 involved black youths. Half the detained youths were black. Black youths also amounted to 39 percent of cases disposed nonjudicially and 44 percent of the judicially disposed cases. Blacks comprised 40 percent of the youths assigned to community control, 50 percent of the commitments, and 54 percent of the cases transferred to adult court. The data came from the Florida Department of Children and Families' Client Information System (CIS). CIS included data on all referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice for delinquent acts. The unit of analysis was an intake case. Figures, table, appended map and description of the Florida juvenile justice system, and 15 references