NCJ Number
154608
Date Published
1995
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This report offers the first national profile of how State adult departments of corrections are responding to the challenge of dealing with younger inmates under their jurisdiction.
Abstract
The increasing number of juveniles involved in violent and serious crime has led to the passage of new legislation in many States that lowers the age at which juveniles may be bound over to adult court, and increasing numbers of young offenders are being sentenced to supervision by adult corrections agencies. The 68 percent increase in transfers to adult court observed between 1988 and 1992 is an indication that the pattern is occurring in many States; and as this survey information makes clear, the trend is accelerating. The information presented in this report was obtained from a written questionnaire sent to State contact persons for the National Institute of Corrections Prisons Division and Information Center "Summary for Corrections Administrators." The survey requested information on the minimum ages at which offenders under age 18 can be sentenced to adult correctional systems, inmate populations, housing policies, programs, and recent legislation that affects these issues. Forty-nine States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico responded to the survey. Each agency's response is summarized in a profile that outlines the department of corrections' responsibility for offenders under age 18 and how these offenders are being housed and managed.