MISCLASSIFICATION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS - A COMPARISON OF DESIGNATIONS IN JAIL AND DETENTION LOGS VS OFFENDER CASE FILES

• NCJ Number: 68396
• Author(s): J P HEUSER
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76 AF-10-0041
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Oregon Law Enforcement Council
• Corporate Author: Oregon Law Enforcement Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PHASE 2 OF OLEC'S (OREGON LAW ENFORCEMENT COUNCIL'S) JUVENILE JAIL AND DETENTION MONITORING STUDY FOR FY 1979

Annotation

THIS OREGON PHASE II STUDY EXAMINES COMPLIANCE WITH A FEDERAL OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION GUIDELINE FOR A MAXIMUM 24-JUDICIAL-HOUR DETENTION FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Abstract

THE OREGON LAW ENFORCEMENT COUNCIL (OLEC) RECENTLY REPORTED TO THE OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION (OJJDP) THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 1979 THERE WERE 1,499 CASES OR INSTANCES WHERE JUVENILE NONCRIMINAL OFFENDERS WERE HELD OR DETAINED IN OREGON FACILITIES FOR MORE THAN 24 JUDICIAL HOURS. THIS STUDY IS BASED ON A SAMPLE OF 271 CASES DRAWN FROM THESE 1,499 CASES. USING INDEPTH CASE FILE DATA IN ADDITION TO THE JAIL/DETENTION LOG BOOK DATA GATHERED IN THE EARLIER CENSUS OF DETENTION FACILITIES, THE STUDY ATTEMPTED TO VERIFY THAT THESE CASES WERE INDEED 'OUT OF COMPLIANCE' (I.E., NONCRIMINAL OFFENDERS HELD FOR MORE THAN 24 JUDICIAL HOURS). THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDING IS THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THESE CASES (118 OF 271, OR 43.5 PERCENT) COULD NOT BE VERIFIED AS OUT OF COMPLIANCE. MISCLASSIFYING CRIMINAL OR DELINQUENT OFFENDERS AS NONCRIMINAL (OR STATUS OFFENDERS) WAS THE MOST COMMON SOURCE OF ERROR, ALTHOUGH MISCALCULATION OF TIME ACTUALLY HELD OCCURRED ALSO. BECAUSE OLEC HAS NOT RECHECKED ITS BASELINE YEAR (1975) DATA, IT IS NOT YET SURE THAT THE ELIMINATION OF MISCLASSIFIED CASES WILL IMPROVE THE COMPLIANCE RATE PICTURE.IN ADDITION, THE STUDY SERIOUSLY QUESTIONS THE DEGREE TO WHICH TIME HELD IN DETENTION (REGARDLESS OF THE 24-HOUR OJJDP GUIDELINES) MATCHES BOTH THE PAST AND CURRENT SITUATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE JUVENILES. UNTIL MORE KNOWLEDGE IS GAINED ABOUT WHY YOUNGSTERS ARE BEING DETAINED AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, NO REAL ASSESSMENT OF THE REASONABLENESS AND UTILITY OF THE CURRENT OJJDP GUIDELINES CAN BE MADE. APPENDIXES INCLUDE FLOWCHARTS AND AN EXPLANATORY LETTER. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)