• 1 in 5 of all violent crimes with juvenile victims occurs between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days.

    1 in 5 of all violent crimes with juvenile victims occurs between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days.

  • Students are more apt to be victims of serious violent crime away from school than at or on the way to school.

    Students are more apt to be victims of serious violent crime away from school than at or on the way to school.

  • A juvenile is a youth at or below the upper age of original jurisdiction in a State.

    A juvenile is a youth at or below the upper age of original jurisdiction in a State.

  • As of 2009, 45 States and the District of Columbia had statutes allowing transfer to criminal court via judicial waiver.

    As of 2009, 45 States and the District of Columbia had statutes allowing transfer to criminal court via judicial waiver.

  • All States have provisions for trying certain juveniles as adults in criminal court.

    All States have provisions for trying certain juveniles as adults in criminal court.

  • As of 2009, 14 States and the District of Columbia had concurrent jurisdiction provisions that gave prosecutors discretion to file certain cases in juvenile or criminal court.

    As of 2009, 14 States and the District of Columbia had concurrent jurisdiction provisions that gave prosecutors discretion to file certain cases in juvenile or criminal court.

  • In 2008, courts with juvenile jurisdiction disposed nearly 1.7 million delinquency cases.

    In 2008, courts with juvenile jurisdiction disposed nearly 1.7 million delinquency cases.

  • Delinquency offenses are acts committed by juveniles that would be crimes if committed by adults.

    Delinquency offenses are acts committed by juveniles that would be crimes if committed by adults.

  • The 2008 juvenile court delinquency caseload was more than 4 times the caseload in 1960.

    The 2008 juvenile court delinquency caseload was more than 4 times the caseload in 1960.

  • In 2008, nearly 90% of young adults had completed high school, a slight increase since 1975 when it was 84%.

    In 2008, nearly 90% of young adults had completed high school, a slight increase since 1975 when it was 84%.

  • In 2009, the juvenile male arrest rate for Violent Crime Index Offenses was 4.3 times the rate for females.

    In 2009, the juvenile male arrest rate for Violent Crime Index Offenses was 4.3 times the rate for females.

  • In 2009, 21% of all persons under age 18 lived at or below the poverty level.

    In 2009, 21% of all persons under age 18 lived at or below the poverty level.

  • In 2009, an estimated 1,770 children died as a result of child abuse or neglect. Infants and toddlers (ages 0-3) accounted for 81% of these victims.

    In 2009, an estimated 1,770 children died as a result of child abuse or neglect. Infants and toddlers (ages 0-3) accounted for 81% of these victims.

  • Persons ages 7-17 are about as likely to be victims of suicide as they are to be victims of homicide.

    Persons ages 7-17 are about as likely to be victims of suicide as they are to be victims of homicide.

  • One-fourth (25%) of all persons arrested for robbery in 2009 were under age 18.

    One-fourth (25%) of all persons arrested for robbery in 2009 were under age 18.

  • Nationally, fewer than 71,000 juvenile offenders were held in residential placement facilities on February 24, 2010.

    Nationally, fewer than 71,000 juvenile offenders were held in residential placement facilities on February 24, 2010.

  • The proportion of children living in single-parent homes more than doubled between 1970 and 2010 from 12% to 27%.

    The proportion of children living in single-parent homes more than doubled between 1970 and 2010 from 12% to 27%.

  • Nationally, females accounted for 13% of juvenile offenders in residential placement in 2010.

    Nationally, females accounted for 13% of juvenile offenders in residential placement in 2010.

Sub-National Projects

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

DC Study to Examine Reoffending Activity of Post-Disposition Youth

The goal of the study is to measure reoffending of post-disposition juvenile offenders in the District of Columbia and develop a process for the DC Court to conduct such analyses on an ongoing basis. Key to the work will be how the term "reoffending" is operationalized. The work was proposed as a collaborative effort involving NCJJ staff and personnel from the DC Courts. The project's major challenge will be to improve the data analysis and reporting process in the DC Court's system to maximize the current strengths of the system and system personnel, while minimizing cost, burden, and disruption to current work routines.

NEW YORK

New York Juvenile Justice Programming Continuum Analysis Project

The NY Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has awarded NCJJ a grant to conduct a 14-county analysis of the juvenile justice prevention and intervention programming available for youth in New York state (up to age 18). The purpose of the initiative is to create a county-level, web-based database and profile of interventions for juveniles in the state of New York who are at-risk of becoming or already delinquent and involved in the juvenile justice system. NCJJ will create an inventory of services and programs in each of the 14 counties (Kings, Queens, Bronx, Suffolk, Nassau, New York, Westchester, Erie, Monroe, Richmond, Onondaga, Orange, Albany, and Oneida) according to the risk and protective domains outlined in the risk need assessment tool(s) in use by the juvenile and family courts in each respective county. NCJJ will also conduct a thorough county-level analysis of services to identify current resource coverage and resource gaps according to program and service characteristics, population demographic and location characteristics, and youthful offending characteristics from results of self-reported needs assessments of juvenile justice professionals in each county, YASI or other risk/need assessment results, and aggregate juvenile court data reports.  

New York Juvenile Justice System Accountability and Enhancement Initiative

NCJJ is working with the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to further the state's juvenile justice strategy, enhance system responsiveness to juvenile crime, and promote system accountability by creating a program assessment model, refining and standardizing research-based performance measures, and integrating program assessment into DCJS operations.

OHIO

Ohio Children and Family Newsletter

The Center entered a contract with the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to continue the newsletter series developed under the recently completed Ohio Family Court Project, Phase II. The newsletter series proved to be a very successful addition to the Family Court Feasibility Study. Four newsletters will be developed examining issues related to innovative children and family initiatives in place in local Ohio courts and on topics or programs that cross-cut jurisdictional boundaries.

Lucas County Aftercare Reform Project

NCJJ is working with the Lucas County Juvenile Court to adapt a comprehensive aftercare model developed in Pennsylvania to meet the particular characteristics and needs of the Lucas County Juvenile Court and Probation Department, particularly as they relate to aftercare services for juveniles placed in ODYS facilities and the Lucas County YTC. To achieve this purpose NCJJ will: 1) conduct a thorough assessment of Lucas County’s aftercare process, including the scope and nature of that process; 2) carefully adapt the Pennsylvania model to match the unique characteristics of the Lucas County and Ohio DYS systems of residential treatment and aftercare; and 3) work collaboratively with the Lucas County Juvenile Court and Probation Department to develop and implement a new case management model for youth in placement predicated on careful assessment of risks and needs, a single case plan that follows the offender from intake to release from aftercare, careful monitoring of plan goals and objectives, and measurement and reporting of outcomes. 

PENNSYLVANIA 

Detention Assessment Study

The goal of the study is to measure the post-implementation success of Allegheny County's Detention Assessment test instrument as it relates to reducing DMC. Analyses will look at the relationship between the risk of committing a new offense, pending court appearance, and the risk of failing to appear in court according to racial ethnic compositions of juvenile court youth and other key variables.

George Junior Republic Research Study

NCJJ has contracted with George Junior Republic (GJR) to conduct a longitudinal study to research the effectiveness of this residential treatment provider’s array of services for delinquent and dependent boys. The study will look at post-release outcomes over a period of two years for a group of 200 boys who attended programming at the site. The study will be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, and unique nationwide, to explore how an array of evidence-based and “home grown” programming, along with setting characteristics of the treatment environment, may impact future delinquency and positive youth development outcomes.

Quality Improvement Initiative

The Quality Improvement Initiative (Qii) is an opportunity for juvenile justice providers to gain knowledge and experience around defining, improving, and communicating about their interventions. Quality Improvement is a commitment to ongoing assessment of service delivery and client outcomes and using data to inform decisions. Using a guided quality improvement process, providers assess the current implementation of an intervention and develop and implement an improvement plan with the support of training and technical assistance from the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

Truancy Prevention Program Evaluation

NCJJ is working with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) in Pittsburgh to evaluate the planned enhancement and expansion of the AIU's Truancy Prevention Program (TPP). NCJJ services include facilitation of a strategic confirmation workshop to identify, assess and confirm (or revise) the logic model for measuring TPP outcomes; review and assessment of TPP program resources, program design, and policies and procedures; reviewing training and technical assistance efforts; identifying critical decision points/activities, and documenting implementation vis-à-vis the program model; and developing outcomes measures and a strategy for evaluating short-term, immediate results of the program.

Pennsylvania Online Data Analysis Tool

The Pennsylvania Juvenile Delinquency Data Analysis Tool was developed to facilitate independent analysis of annual dispositions reported to the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission (JCJC) by counties throughout the Commonwealth. With this application, users can perform unique analyses on the age, gender, and race of juveniles involved in these cases as well as the alleged and substantiated offense, legal representation, the use of detention, adjudication, case disposition, and placement type. The tool is currently being refined and expanded through support from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Program and Practice Effectiveness Toolkit

NCJJ was awarded a contract from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to work collaboratively with the Pennsylvania State University’s Episcenter to create an on-line Toolkit will provide justice-serving professionals with a one stop shop where they can look for juvenile justice prevention and intervention programs and practices that are effective, as determined by the state of the science supporting the program or practice. The Toolkit will include a process by which providers and probation departments can judge where programs and practices “fit” along a continuum of confidence from ineffective or harmful, to most effective or research-based.  This on-line Toolkit will also educate professionals in the field by developing common definitions of program effectiveness and provide access to additional training and technical assistance resources around the implementation of effective, high-quality programs and practices for justice-involved youth.

WYOMING

Wyoming Court Improvement Project

Under contract with the Wyoming Supreme Court's Children's Justice Project (Wyoming CIP), NCJJ is working closely with AOC/CIP programmatic and IT staff as well as Sweetwater and Johnson counties to install and enhance an automated neglect/abuse case tracking system that is similar to what the Center and its system developer (Canyon Solutions) has previously installed in a pilot fashion in Omaha, NE and Scranton, PA. The system will be used to track Sweetwater's CIP reform efforts that are currently in the development stages as well as to serve as a prototype for the AOC's internal development of it's own web-based application that will be installed statewide.