NCJ Number
246505
Journal
Criminology Volume: 52 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2014 Pages: 169-194
Date Published
May 2014
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study of the association between juveniles' ages and the dispositions they received in Florida's juvenile justice system in 2008 (n=71,388) tested the hypothesis that the juvenile court focuses on youth in the mid-range of the court's age of jurisdiction (characterized in this study as "true" juveniles).
Abstract
The study found modest evidence of the hypothesized "true" juvenile effect among youth formally processed by Florida's juvenile court. Youth in approximately the middle of the age spectrum of juvenile court jurisdiction - particularly the 12-14 year-olds - were most likely to receive probation. Among this age group, the probability of placement on probation was 60 percent or higher. On the other hand, the probabilities of receiving probation among 10-year-olds and 17-year-olds were 50 percent and 48 percent, respectively. Older youth (14-16 years old) were most likely to be committed to confinement; however, the probability of commitment among any age group was low relative to other sanctions (diversion, probation, transfer). The youngest juveniles are removed from the court's jurisdiction through dismissal, and the oldest are removed through dismissal or transfer to adult court jurisdiction. Although young juveniles can be transferred to adult court for a range of serious offenses, in practice the court typically transfers only older juveniles through prosecutorial direct file. The very young juveniles, not "true" juveniles, were more likely to be informally processed (diversion). The authors suggest that in the course of juvenile processing, decisionmakers should base dispositions less on the age of a youth than on individualized assessments of risk and need. 4 tables, 3 figures, and 74 references