NCJ Number
79837
Journal
Law and Human Behavior Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (1981) Pages: 19-43
Date Published
1981
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Detailed multivariate analysis of 60,059 delinquent and unruly cases disposed of by Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court (Ohio) from 1969 to 1975 found that the youths' previous court experience was the best predictor of preadjudicatory detention.
Abstract
The study examined the claim that the juvenile court discriminates along sexual, racial, and socioeconomic lines in its detention practices. Eight variables were considered in examining the court's preadjudicatory detention practice: a youth's age, sex, race, and previous court history; the source of the court referral; the offense for which the youth had been charged; the youth's preadjudicatory detention status; and the youth's family median income. Cases were divided into two groups: youths detained overnight or longer in the court's detention hall and those receiving no detention care by the court prior to adjudication. Analysis provided no support for the argument that the court operates on a double standard along sexual, racial, and income lines in the use of detention. Previous court experience is the best predictor of detention. Three tables, 10 footnotes, a glossary of offenses, and 50 references are included.