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PbS Data Snapshot: What We Know about Length of Stay in Secure Facilities

NCJ Number
306349
Author(s)
Kim Godfrey Lovett
Date Published
September 2022
Length
3 pages
Annotation

This document shares information based on records of 2,291 youth who left more than 100 detention centers and correctional facilities in 32 U.S. states from November 1, 2021 through April 30, 2022, and discusses the characteristics of those youth and committing offenses according to length of stay.

Abstract

This document is part of an effort to set standards for juvenile justice agencies with the goal of ensuring that all youth feel seen, heard, and valued, as well as being screened for immediate physical and mental health and educational needs. This document presents data collected by Performance-based Standards (PbS) on sex and race/ethnicity characteristics of youth who were confined in facilities, according to their length of stay (LOS). The document shows that the average LOS for youth in detention centers was 40 days, noting averages for Black, Hispanic, Other, and White; Black youth comprised 31 percent of those released from detention centers and 41 percent of those who stayed longer than the average; the average LOS for youth in correction facilities was 259 days; and in correction facilities, youth confined for status offenses stayed an average of 6.8 months and those confined for technical violations stayed an average of 4.3 months. The document also notes that the “Other” ethnicity category includes American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders, and youth whose ethnicity was reported as Other.