NCJ Number
244588
Date Published
April 2003
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined the problem of juvenile disproportionate minority confinement in Georgia.
Abstract
This study was conducted as required by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to examine and address the problem of juvenile disproportionate minority confinement specifically in the State of Georgia. The purpose of the study was to determine the existence and extent of any racial disparity in the decisionmaking process for juvenile offenders at four key processing points: detention, adjudication for delinquency, adjudication for unruly behavior, and among those adjudicated, commitment to a juvenile justice facility. Data for the study were obtained analysis of 302,506 closed juvenile court delinquent and unruly referrals in 13 counties for the period 1995 through 2001. While the 13 counties represent a small portion of Georgia's 159 counties, the number of referrals accounts for over 50 percent of the delinquent and unruly referrals filed annually in the State. Analysis of the data found that of the 302,506 referrals, 18 percent resulted in detention, 41 percent resulted in adjudication, 64 percent of the referrals were for delinquency, 19 percent were for traffic violations, and 17 percent were for unruliness. In addition, Black non-Hispanic defendants comprised 54 percent of the referrals while White non-Hispanic accounted for 42 percent of referrals. Overall, 8 percent of White males were detained compared to 29 percent of non-White males, while only 7 percent of White females were detained compared to 22 percent of non-White females. These findings suggest that a racial/gender bias exists in Georgia's juvenile justice system at the detention decision point but that this bias becomes less clear as the juveniles move through the system. Tables and references