Custody Data (1997-Present)

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

Printer-friendly

Q:	Does the race/ethnicity profile of juvenile offenders in residential placement vary by offense?
A:	Non-Hispanic black juveniles accounted for the majority (40%) of nonwhite youth held in custody in 2006.

Race/ethnicity profile of juvenile offenders in residential placement, 2006

Most serious offense	Total		White		Minority
Most serious offense	Total		White		Total Minority		Black		Hispanic		American Indian¹		Asian¹

Total	100	%	35	%	65	%	40	%	20	%	2	%	1	%
Delinquency	100		34		66		41		21		2		1
Person	100		32		68		44		20		2		1
Criminal homicide	100		22		78		44		29		2		3
Sexual assault	100		54		46		28		15		2		1
Robbery	100		11		89		65		21		1		1
Aggravated assault	100		25		75		45		26		2		2
Simple assault	100		37		63		42		17		2		1
Other person	100		40		60		40		17		2		1
Property	100		37		63		37		21		2		1
Burglary	100		39		61		37		20		2		1
Theft	100		41		59		40		16		2		1
Auto theft	100		29		71		41		26		2		2
Arson	100		55		45		27		14		2		1
Other property	100		37		63		33		25		2		1
Drug	100		32		68		44		22		1		1
Drug trafficking	100		17		83		63		17		1		1
Other drug	100		36		64		38		23		2		1
Public order	100		34		66		40		22		2		1
Weapons	100		18		82		50		28		1		2
Other public order	100		44		56		34		18		2		1
Technical violation*	100		35		65		37		24		2		1
Status	100		50		50		33		8		5		1

¹American Indian includes Alaskan Natives; Asian includes Pacific Islanders.
*Technical violations include violations of probation, parole, and valid court order.

Notes: Total includes a small number of youth for whom race/ethnicity was not reported or was reported as other. Detail may not add to total due to rounding.

The "Hispanic" category includes persons of Latin American or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. These persons are not included in the other race/ethnicity categories.

Minorities include blacks, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and those identified as "other race."

[ Excel file ]

In 2006, nearly 60,400 minority offenders were in residential placement in juvenile facilities across the country–65% of the national custody population.
White youth's share of juveniles held in custody was greatest for the offenses of sexual assault and arson and black youth's share was greatest for robbery and drug trafficking.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08205.asp?qaDate=2006. Released on September 12, 2008.

Data Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement 2006 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: OJJDP.