Differential Selection of Juveniles for Detention

Abstract

This study examines detention practices of sixty-six county juvenile courts in one state during a three year period. Two kinds of analyses are reported. First, courts with and courts without a detention home are compared. Second, in courts with a detention home the effect of the juvenile's prior court contacts, offenses, sex, and race on detention are examined. Courts without a detention home detain juveniles with less frequency than courts with a detention home even though juveniles in both types of courts have the same characteristics. Variation among the courts in detention practices as a consequence of the availability of a detention home suggests that there may be needless detention of children. The number of prior court contacts of a juvenile increases the probability of detention. Overall, offenders who commit juvenile code violations are more frequently detained than juveniles who commit other offenses. White females are detained more frequently than any other group. While some findings point to discriminatory handling of non white juveniles, other findings suggest that nonwhites are not always treated more harshly than whites. The study of the careers of juveniles as they are processed through the court enables us to evaluate social control agencies and to make them responsive to the people they serve.