NCJ Number
185484
Date Published
October 2000
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This is an in-depth study of the prosecution of minority youth in criminal court.
Abstract
This study reviews juvenile cases prosecuted in adult courts in 18 large urban counties across the country. It includes the full range of transfer mechanisms, e.g., judicial decisions, prosecutorial decisions and legislative exclusions, and examines all the major decision points in criminal case processing, from arrest to final disposition. There were a sufficient number of Latino youths in the cases examined so that the study considers Latino youth separately. The findings are based on data gathered specifically for this study and not from secondary sources. The 18 jurisdictions selected for this study were drawn from those that participate in the State Court Processing Statistics project of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The report concludes that perhaps the most significant contribution of this research is the spotlight it throws on aspects of the justice system that appear to work contrary to traditional reasons for prosecuting youth in adult court. The report considers this an area requiring additional research, policy review and new legislation to ensure that young people are not unnecessarily and inappropriately swept up into the adult criminal justice system. Figures