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Juveniles in Court
Detention
Q: Has the juvenile courts' use of detention in delinquency cases changed?
A: The number of delinquency cases involving detention increased 48% between 1985 and 2005. During that period, the proportion of detained delinquency cases ranged between 17% and 22%.
Detained delinquency cases, 1985-2005

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  • Juvenile courts sometimes hold youth in secure detention facilities during court processing of their case. Depending on the State's detention laws, the court may decide detention is necessary to ensure the juvenile's appearance at subsequent court hearings, to protect the community from the juvenile, or to secure the juvenile's own safety. Detention may also be ordered for the purpose of evaluating the juvenile.
  • Juveniles were held in detention facilities at some point between referral to court and case disposition in 21% of all delinquency cases handled in 2005.
  • While the proportion of cases detained fluctuated between 1985 and 2005, the volume of cases generally grew. The result was a 48% increase in the number of cases involving detention over the 21-year period, an increase of 114,200 cases in which the youth was detained.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/court/qa06301.asp?qaDate=2005. Released on September 12, 2008.

Adapted from Puzzanchera, C. and Sickmund, M. Juvenile Court Statistics 2005. [Forthcoming]. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

 

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