NCJ Number
210939
Date Published
2005
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics for 2003 on the number and characteristics of referrals made to Missouri's juvenile courts.
Abstract
In calendar year 2003, Missouri's 45 juvenile courts disposed 76,927 referrals, a 13-percent decrease from the high of 88,424 referrals in 1999 and a 4-percent decrease from 2002. There were 33,196 male and 19,261 female White juveniles referred; 13,633 male and 6,928 female African-Americans referred; 2,068 males and 677 females of unknown race; and 763 males and 401 female classified as "other" in terms of race. Most referrals came through law enforcement agencies, followed by schools, the Children's Division, juvenile court personnel, parents, other juvenile courts, relatives, victims, social agencies, and the Department of Mental Health. This report shows outcomes of formally and informally disposed referrals. Most formal dispositions involved out-of-home placements (n=8,271) with the Division of Youth Services, in foster homes, with a relative, or with some other agency. A total of 6,811 formal dispositions involved in-home services. Most informal dispositions involved adjustments without supervision, which consisted of no more than one face-to-face contact between court personnel and the juvenile, usually resulting in the giving of advice, counsel, or a verbal warning. Data on referrals are broken down into law-violation referrals; status-offense referrals; and abuse, neglect, and custody referrals. Data on law-violation referrals pertain to outcomes, prior violations, and the age distribution of law violators. Data on status-offense referrals address outcomes and placements; and data on abuse, neglect, and custody referrals involve outcomes and the age distribution of referrals. 15 charts, 11 tables, and 9 appendixes with supplementary data