NCJ Number
52078
Date Published
1978
Length
29 pages
Annotation
STATISTICS ON THE 1,370 CHILDREN COMMITTED TO THE CARE OF THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DURING 1977 ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
THE STATISTICS WERE DRAWN FROM INTAKE ASSESSMENT REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S CENTRAL RECEPTION AND DIAGNOSTIC FACILITY. DATA INCLUDED ON THE CHILDREN ARE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (COMMITTING OFFENSE, RACE, SEX, AGE, INTELLIGENCE, NUMBER OF COMMITMENTS, LIVING SITUATION), MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HISTORY AND STATUS, AND SCORES ON MATHEMATICS TESTS. THERE WAS A 10.8 PERCENT DECREASE IN NEW COMMITMENTS FROM 1976 TO 1977. OF ALL YOUTHS COMMITTED IN 1977, 54.1 PERCENT WERE COMMITTED FOR OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY, 12.3 PERCENT FOR OFFENSES AGAINST PERSONS, 4.0 PERCENT FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED OR DRUG-RELATED OFFENSES, AND 10.3 FOR STATUS OFFENSES. (A LAW PROHIBITING COMMITMENT OF STATUS OFFENDERS BECAME EFFECTIVE IN JULY 1977.) THE NUMBER OF FEMALES COMMITTED DECREASED 21.1 PERCENT FROM 294 IN 1976 TO 232 IN 1977, WHILE THE NUMBER OF MALES INCREASED 2.0 PERCENT TO 1,138. BLACKS ACCOUNTED FOR 44.7 PERCENT OF COMMITMENTS, WHITES FOR 55.1 PERCENT. AVERAGE AGE AT COMMITMENT WAS 15 YEARS. OF ALL COMMITMENTS, 44.6 PERCENT WERE OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE, 38.3 PERCENT OF 'DULL NORMAL' OR BELOW INTELLIGENCE, AND 17.1 PERCENT OF 'BRIGHT NORMAL' OR ABOVE INTELLIGENCE. CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN RECEIVED AT THE INTAKE FACILITY (EITHER FOR COMMITMENT OR PREDISPOSITIONAL EVALUATION) MORE THAN ONCE ACCOUNTED FOR 16.3 PERCENT OF ALL COMMITMENTS. CHILDREN LIVING WITH ONE PARENT AND A STEPPARENT ACCOUNTED FOR 45.1 PERCENT OF ALL COMMITMENTS, CHILDREN LIVING WITH BOTH NATURAL PARENTS FOR 28.9 PERCENT. OVER 60 PERCENT OF THE YOUTHS HAD NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION. THOSE HAVING A HISTORY OF PREVIOUS RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT FOR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS ACCOUNTED FOR 25 PERCENT OF ALL COMMITMENTS. SCORES ON MATHEMATIC TESTS GENERALLY WERE HIGHER THAN OR THE SAME AS SCORES IN 1976. TABULAR DATA AND NARRATIVE HIGHLIGHTS ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)