NCJ Number
85297
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1982) Pages: 3-9
Date Published
1982
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Data from the home detention program in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama were used to compare the behaviors of juveniles assigned to home detention with those of juveniles held in secure institutional detention while awaiting court hearings.
Abstract
The home detention program uses paraprofessionals who supervise about five youths each and who are expected to help the youths stay out of trouble and appear for court hearings. The youth workers may send youths directly to secure detention if they fail to meet the program requirements. The analysis compared 29 youths assigned to home detention with 57 placed in secure detention between February and October 1979. The majority of both groups were charged with status offenses or property crimes. Personal crimes were the charges against 21 percent of the institutional detention group and 7 percent of the home detention group. The institutional group averaged 6 days in secure detention, while the home detention group spent an average of 72 days in the detention program. The rearrest rate per week was 2.1 percent for the institutional group and 1.7 percent for the home detention group and 1.8 percent of the institutional group. The difference was not statistically significant. Failure to appear in court hearings occurred in 3.4 percent of the home detention group. Findings supported previous research concluding that secure detention is overused in the juvenile justice system. A reasonable policy would be a presumption against detention unless substantial reason exists to believe that the juvenile will commit new offenses. The National Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice has issued systematic guidelines for the use of secure detention. Suggested refinements in the use of home detention, tables, and a list of 14 references are provided.