NCJ Number
68801
Date Published
1980
Length
37 pages
Annotation
IN AN ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE JUVENILE CRIME, THIS REPORT STUDIED 495 JUVENILE DELINQUENTS ADJUDICATED IN DADE COUNTY, FLA. BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1979 AND APRIL 1980 AND COMPARED THE DATA WITH A 1977 PROFILE OF 618 JUVENILES.
Abstract
THE STUDY POPULATION CONSISTED OF SERIOUS DELINQUENTS WHOSE CASES HAD GONE THROUGH A TRIAL AND DISPOSITION WITH THE OFFENDERS PLACED IN SOME TREATMENT OR INCARCERATION PROGRAM. THE COMPARISON WITH 1977 EXPLORED THE RISE IN CRIME IN RELATION TO RACE OR ETHNIC GROUP, TO THE TYPES OF CRIME FAVORED BY JUVENILES, TO THE INCIDENCE OF FEMALE DELINQUENCY AND DRUG ABUSE, AND TO OFFENDER AGE. THE IMPACT OF THE SYSTEM ON JUVENILES WAS ANALYZED BY EXAMINING THE DETERRENT EFFECTS OF THE JUVENILE COURT PROCESS AND THE DIVERSION PRACTICES, WHICH RESULT IN RELATIVELY FEW TRIALS DESPITE HIGH ARREST RATES. AN EXAMINATION OF DELINQUENTS' FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS REVEALED BROKEN HOMES, POVERTY, AND CHILD NEGLECT AND ABUSE. THE MAJOR FINDING WAS THAT BLACK JUVENILES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER HALF OF ALL SERIOUS JUVENILE CRIME IN DADE COUNTY, BUT THE LATIN JUVENILE CRIME RATE INCREASED BY 40 PERCENT OVER THE 3 YEARS. FINDINGS ALSO SHOWED THAT ONLY 6.7 PERCENT OF JUVENILE COURT CASES INVOLVED FEMALES AND THAT ONLY 6.5 PERCENT OF COURT CASES INVOLVED DRUGS. A 68 PERCENT RECIDIVISM RATE AMONG THE 1977 OFFENDERS GIVES EVIDENCE OF THE POOR DETERRENT EFFECTS OF THE SYSTEM. OF REPEAT OFFENDERS, 60 PERCENT COMMITTED NEW OFFENSES WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF PRIOR ARREST. A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE CRIMES GO UNNOTICED AND UNPUNISHED BY THE SYSTEM THROUGH DIVERSION. THESE STAGGERING RECIDIVISM AND ARREST RATES PROMPT THE NEED FOR GETTING THE HARD-CORE DELINQUENTS OUT OF THE JUVENILE SYSTEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROGRAM RESOURCES SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO ESPECIALLY TARGET THE HARD-CORE DELINQUENT GROUPS. EXPLANATORY FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED.