Custody Data (1997-Present)

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

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Q:	Does the minority proportion of juvenile offenders in residential placement vary by state and placement status?
A:	In nearly all states, a disproportionate number of minorities were in residential placement in 2006.

Minority proportion of juvenile offenders in residential placement, 2006

State of offense	Minority proportion
	Juvenile population		Total CJRP		Detained		Committed
	Juvenile population		Total CJRP		Detained		Public		Private

U.S. total	39	%	65	%	69	%	66	%	59	%

Alabama	37		60		68		64		53
Alaska	38		63		59		63		*72
Arizona	51		64		65		66		53
Arkansas	29		53		56		52		52
California	65		84		84		84		80

Colorado	34		52		56		57		48
Connecticut	30		77		74		90		71
Delaware	37		80		82		80		*82
District of Columbia	88		96		100		*100		*81
Florida	46		61		60		57		62

Georgia	47		76		74		80		68
Hawaii	75		96		*90		*96		*80
Idaho	16		20		13		23		*18
Illinois	41		68		78		66		47
Indiana	19		38		41		41		31

Iowa	11		31		33		35		29
Kansas	23		52		54		58		40
Kentucky	13		35		43		35		28
Louisiana	44		74		73		77		71
Maine	5		9		*13		6		*20

Maryland	45		77		77		68		81
Massachusetts	24		63		63		67		64
Michigan	27		56		61		41		62
Minnesota	18		56		61		58		50
Mississippi	49		76		69		77		*100

Missouri	21		53		73		43		*60
Montana	15		33		*35		31		*33
Nebraska	19		48		55		*39		37
Nevada	49		60		60		62		*42
New Hampshire	6		22		*13		*35		*14

New Jersey	41		84		85		88		*53
New Mexico	67		87		84		90		*67
New York	45		76		85		87		62
North Carolina	38		68		74		75		53
North Dakota	13		41		*17		*48		40

Ohio	21		53		58		52		51
Oklahoma	33		57		58		62		39
Oregon	23		32		43		30		25
Pennsylvania	22		67		64		60		69
Rhode Island	27		62		*60		63		59

South Carolina	41		70		68		73		71
South Dakota	20		56		54		46		62
Tennessee	27		53		51		51		59
Texas	59		76		79		76		73
Utah	18		40		51		39		31

Vermont	4		*17		*0		*0		*33
Virginia	36		71		69		73		*60
Washington	27		42		40		43		*38
West Virginia	6		19		19		18		22
Wisconsin	20		55		57		59		47
Wyoming	14		36		*11		28		44

* Percent based on fewer than 100 observations.

Notes: The juvenile population is the number of juveniles age 10 through the upper age of original juvenile court jurisdiction in each State.

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

To preserve the privacy of the juvenile residents, cell counts have been rounded to the nearest multiple of three. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Percentages are based on rounded totals. More information on this rounding rule is available on the CJRP Databook Web site.

[ Map of minority proportion ] [ Excel file ]

Minority youth accounted for 39% of the U.S. juvenile population and 65% of juveniles in custody in 2006.
Minorities accounted for 66% of juveniles committed to public facilities nationwide–a proportion nearly twice their proportion in the juvenile population.
Minority proportions tended to be somewhat lower for youth committed to private rather than public facilities.
In 11 states (Georgia, New York, Texas, Mississippi, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Hawaii) and the District of Columbia, the minority proportion of the total population of juvenile offenders in residential placement was greater than 75%.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08208.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.