NCJ Number
50159
Date Published
1976
Length
23 pages
Annotation
THE DISPOSITIONS OF 1,656 JUVENILE PETITIONS PROCESSED IN AN IDAHO COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER IN 1975 ARE PRESENTED AND ANALYZED BY AGE, SEX, AND TYPE OF OFFENSE.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH MANY JUVENILES HAD MORE THAN ONE PETITION FILED DURING 1975, EACH OF THE 1,656 PETITIONS CONSIDERED WAS COUNTED AS A NEW CASE ENTERING JUVENILE COURT. CHARTS ARE PRESENTED TO DEPICT THE FLOW OF THE PETITIONS THROUGH THE COURT COMPONENT OF THE ADA COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE CHARTS SHOW THE NUMBER OF DISPOSITIONS FILED AND THE NUMBER GIVEN SPECIFIC DISPOSITIONS BY THE SPECIFIC CLASS OF PETITIONS ANALYZED: THOSE FILED FOR BOTH SEXES, MALES, FEMALES, STATUS OFFENSES, AND CRIMINAL OFFENSES. OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE, 1,138 (68.7%) CASES WERE HEARD BY THE COURT, WITH THE REMAINING 31.3% BEING EITHER DISMISSED WITHOUT COURT HEARING OR TRANSFERRED TO ADULT COURT. OF THE 1,138 CASES RECEIVING HEARING, THE COURT DISMISSED 122 (10.7%), AND 595 (52.3%) WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE YOUTH REHABILITATION ACT (THE NATURE OF THIS ACT IS NOT EXPLAINED IN THE REPORT). THE NUMBER OF PETITIONS RESULTING IN CONSENT DECREES (INFORMAL PROBATION OF 6 MONTHS GRANTED AT THE DISCRETION OF PROBATION OFFICERS) WAS 421 (37%). ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) WERE PLACED WITH HEALTH AND WELFARE WITH NO OTHER CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY THE COURT. PROBATION AS A SINGLE CONDITION OF A SENTENCE WAS IMPOSED RELATIVELY FEW TIMES, BUT WAS GIVEN FREQUENTLY IN COMBINATIONS OF SENTENCES. THE SENTENCING COMBINATION USED MOST FREQUENTLY AND WHICH DID NOT INVOLVE HEALTH AND WELFARE WAS PROBATION/DETENTION-SUSPENDED (21.8% OF THE 595 UNDER THE YOUTH REHABILITATION ACT). DISPOSITIONS FOR MALES AND FEMALES ARE COMPARED AS ARE THOSE FOR CRIMINAL AND STATUS OFFENDERS. STATISTICS ON MALES AND FEMALES GRANTED INFORMAL PROBATION ARE ALSO PROVIDED ACCORDING TO OFFENSE, AND THE SUCCESS RATE BY MALE AND FEMALE IS ALSO GIVEN. A TABLE COMPARING PETITIONS FILED WITH ARRESTS MADE BY OFFENSE IS PRESENTED. (RCB)