NCJ Number
225825
Date Published
September 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This research examined marked borough differences in the processing of juvenile offender cases in supreme courts across the five boroughs of New York City.
Abstract
Results indicate that re-arrest rates were high citywide; more than three quarters of the juveniles were re-arrested and half were re-arrested for a violent felony offense (VFO) within 4 years at risk. Nearly three quarters were charged with first- or second-degree robbery entering the upper court, and an additional 8 percent entered the upper court charged with murder, attempted murder, or manslaughter. More than 9 of every 10 of these juveniles were convicted and half were sentenced to imprisonment. The data also indicate that juveniles processed in Manhattan were less likely to be re-arrested shortly after their initial release than juveniles processed in other boroughs, although the overall re-arrest rate was not lower for Manhattan juveniles. Manhattan also differed from other boroughs in that among juvenile offenders arrested for a VFO, the re-arrest was less likely to be on a homicide or felony assault charge. Brooklyn juveniles were re-arrested for more serious offenses than were their counterparts in other boroughs. They were more likely to be charged with a felony and less likely to be charged with a narcotics offense at re-arrest. Brooklyn juveniles were also significantly more likely to be re-arrested for a VFO than were juveniles in other boroughs; Queens as well as Brooklyn had a significantly higher rate of VFO re-arrest. These borough variations represent the only difference in the predictors of re-arrest on a VFO charge. Other predictive factors equally affected both measures of re-arrest and were discussed. 13 figures