NCJ Number
153540
Date Published
1994
Length
53 pages
Annotation
Information concerning the juvenile probation system in Texas is provided.
Abstract
This report provides information regarding the magnitude and nature of juvenile criminal activity and the juvenile probation system's response to this activity in Texas. The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) collected statistical data regarding juveniles referred to the juvenile justice system from 161 departments which cover all Texas counties. The TJPC also surveyed the departments to obtain supplemental information. The statistical activity reports and the 1993 resource survey are the primary sources of this report. The statistics indicate an 8-percent increase in referrals of juveniles to juvenile probation departments from the previous years. This increase is attributed to a considerable increase in serious criminal activity of delinquent conduct referrals and would have been greater had there not been a change in the juvenile law which gave jurisdiction of most Class C misdemeanors to justice and municipal courts. Juvenile involvement with drug and gang-related activities continues to be the major cause of the increase in serious juvenile crime. An appendix contains tables with county-by-county breakdowns of juvenile probation referral, detention, disposition, and supervision workload activity.