NCJ Number
222303
Date Published
2006
Length
78 pages
Annotation
This report provides an overview of juvenile court dispositions in Pennsylvania during 2006 and preceding years, and summarizes juvenile court statistical data.
Abstract
The 2006 disposition report includes the following highlights: there was a total of 43,939 delinquency dispositions in Pennsylvania in 2006, which represents a 3.4-percent decrease from 2005; probation continues to be the most frequently utilized disposition, representing 18.4 percent of all delinquency dispositions; delinquency placements to private institutions, including those resulting from disposition reviews, comprised 38.1 percent of the total delinquency placements in 2006; juvenile court dispositions in Pennsylvania continued to primarily involve males, of which 48.8 percent involved White, non-Hispanic youth, 39.9 percent involved Black, non-Hispanic youth , and 25.4 percent involved 17-year-olds; and 18.5 percent of delinquency dispositions reported that the juvenile was living with both parents, while 20 percent reported a family status of married biological parents. Although the report focuses primarily on delinquency dispositions, information has been included on dependency cases that have been referred to juvenile probation departments. While county children and youth agencies handle the overwhelming majority of cases involving dependent children in the Commonwealth, some juvenile probation departments provide services to children who are alleged to be dependent on the basis of ungovernability or chronic truancy. Data were provided by county juvenile probation departments and includes information on: delinquency dispositions, delinquency placements, delinquency offenses, detention, demographics, dependency dispositions, disposition and placement reviews, and a summary of all dispositional activity. Tables, charts, and appendix