Module 9

Question 0

What are the weaknesses of the juvenile justice statistics?

Answer 0

• not providing all cases processed
• future recidivism by processed juveniles
• juvies processed as adults aren’t included
• only 75% are represented in the final report

Question 1

1a. Which measure is most commonly used for examining data regarding juvenile courts, and which federal departments are affiliated with it?

Answer 1

Juvenile Court Statistics

-its affiliated with OJJDP and NCJJ

Question 2

1b. How many cases do US juvenile courts deal with on an annual basis in recent times?

Answer 2

1.7 million annually in the 90s

Question 3

Compared to the mid-to-late 1990s, how does this number of cases dealt with compare?

Answer 3

1.6 million in 02

Question 4

1c. What type of juvenile cases are most handled by courts, and which are the least dealt with in terms of number of cases (rank order them by type)?

Answer 4

1. Property offenses
2. Public order
3. Person/violent offenses
4. Drug law violations

Question 5

How does the number of cases handled by juvenile courts compare to the 1960s?

Answer 5

It has increased by 300%

Question 6

1d. For what type of offending have juvenile courts seen the largest increase regarding female offenders?

Answer 6

The rate of females involved in property crimes

Question 7

Also, which racial group has seen the largest increases in juvenile courts regarding delinquent activity?

Answer 7

Blacks

Question 8

Discuss age trends regarding the juveniles that are seen by these courts.

Answer 8

• The older you are the more likely you are to get sent to adult criminal court
• Those processed at age 10 or before are more likely to be chronic offenders

Question 9

1e. In an average year, approximately what percentage of juvenile cases are actually “petitioned” out of the cases that are “referred” to juvenile courts?

Answer 9

58% are petitioned

Question 10

Also, in an average year, approximately what percentage of “petitioned” cases in juvenile courts actually go to the adjudication stage?

Answer 10

67%

Question 11

Discuss the reasons why juvenile cases that are never adjudicated delinquent still end up with sanctions.

Answer 11

For the best interest of the child

Question 12

1f. What approximate percentage of juvenile cases are waived/transferred to adult criminal court each year in the US?

Answer 12

1 or 8 %

Question 13

1g. Discuss the relative proportion of males to females that are transferred/waived to adult criminal court.

Answer 13

Males are more likely to be petitioned than females (10;1)

Question 14

Also, discuss the nature to which minority groups are waived/transferred to criminal court.

Answer 14

Its very close but more blacks

Question 15

1h. Discuss the status offenses that are handled in juvenile courts.

Answer 15

Truancy, running away, liquor laws, ungovernability