NCJ Number
69984
Date Published
1979
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Activities of the Utah State Juvenile Court during 1979 are presented; statistical information reflecting juvenile referrals, offenses, dispositions, and demographics are emphasized.
Abstract
The Utah juvenile court system is divided into five districts which are determined by demographic and geographic characteristics. The system handles issues other than traffic offenses involving persons under the age of 18. Judges serve 6-year terms; they are appointed by the Governor and do not stand for reappointment. Departments within the court system include probation, intake, clerical, and administrative. Four basic categories of information are discussed herein including referrals, offenses, children, and dispositions. A referral is a written statement received by the court alleging that a condition exists which, if proved, would bring the person named in the statement within the court's jurisdiction. A referral may originate from police, schools, concerned citizens, or the court itself. An offense is a specific violation of the law for which a juvenile has been referred to the court. Although a juvenile may have one referral to the court during the year, he may have committed multiple violations of the law, each one of which constitutes a separate delinquency offense. The four types of offenses include acts against persons, acts involving property, acts against public order, and acts illegal for children only. A disposition is a decision by the court as to what course of action should be taken regarding the child referred. The basic unit of measurement used by the court is called 'child' or 'person.' For example, in 1979 the court dealt with 15,215 youth who were referred 23,766 times, with 27,765 offenses. The total number of youths involved appears relatively small when it is noted that the total youth population for the State of Utah is 142,829. The most frequently reported delinquent acts include shoplifting, possession of alcohol, theft, burglary, possession of tobacco, destruction of property, possession of marijuana, and contempt of court. By year's end a total of 1,861 youths were placed on probation. The majority of children referred for delinquency were white and were living with the natural parents. Extensive tables and graphs are provided in the report.