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Decision-Making in the Juvenile Justice System in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, 1999-2000 (ICPSR 3581)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30

Geographic coverage: Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan

Time period: 1999-01-01--2000-01-01

The goals of the juvenile justice system in the United States have always been multiple, beginning with rehabilitation, the primary goal when the juvenile court was established. More recently, policies advocating accountability seem to have predominated over other goals of the court, and concern exists that structured decision-making (SDM) in support of individual accountability has begun to fundamentally change the juvenile justice system. This study examined the use of SDM in state correctional agencies in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio and in juvenile courts in three counties in each of those states. Data were collected in phases from March 1999 to August 2000 during periodic site visits. Probation officers, judges and referees, prosecutors, and defense attorneys were interviewed in each of the 12 courts. Each survey contained a core set of questions eliciting respondents' views of juvenile justice, disposition objectives, and the use and value of SDM. Questions relevant to particular decision-makers were also included. All respondents provided demographic information and information about their job experience in criminal justice and professional training.

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Deterrent Effect of Curfew Enforcement: Operation Nightwatch in St. Louis, 2003-2005 (ICPSR 4302)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-14

Geographic coverage: United States, Missouri, St. Louis

Time period: 2003-12-01--2005-01-01

This study was conducted between December 2003 and January 2005, to determine if the curfew check program in St. Louis, Missouri, known as Nightwatch, was meeting its stated goals of reducing recidivism and victimization among juvenile offenders. The study was conducted using a pretest and two post-tests on an experimental group and a comparison group. The pretest (Time 1) was given to 118 juveniles. The first post-test (Time 2) was completed by 78 juveniles and the second post-test (Time 3) was completed by 37 juveniles. The tests were designed to measure the respondents' perceptions of certainty of punishment, as well as to measure their out of home activities. Important variables included in the study are levels of parental supervision, self-reported behaviors of the juvenile respondent, perceived severity of punishments, measures of impulsiveness, and self-reported victimization of the respondent, as well as variables related to the Nightwatch program, including the number of visits, sanctions or rewards received by the respondent.

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Evaluation of Utah's Early Intervention Mandate: Juvenile Sentencing Guidelines and Intermediate Sanctions, 1996-2000 (ICPSR 3502)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30

Geographic coverage: United States, Utah

Time period: 1996-01-01--2000-01-01

This study was an evaluation of changes initiated by the State of Utah to reduce youth crime: a program of early intervention comprised of Juvenile Sentencing Guidelines and a new intermediate sanction called State Supervision. Together, the Sentencing Guidelines and State Supervision sanction were designed to bring about a reduction in juvenile recidivism rates and subsequently reduce the number of offenders placed out of the home in the custody of the Division of Youth Corrections by 5 percent. Researchers combined quantitative measures of sentencing guidelines compliance and recidivism rates with qualitative interviews of juvenile justice system personnel and youth offenders. Data were gathered on all offenders receiving a sentence to probation for the first time from January to June during 1996 and 1999, enabling a comparison of offenders before and after program implementation (Part 1, Juvenile Information System Data). Part 1 data include demographic data, prior charges, age at start of probation, detention use, reoffense, and commitment to Youth Corrections. Interviews with 168 court and corrections personnel were conducted in two interview rounds, from June to December 1999, and again from July to September 2000, soliciting their views of the sentencing guidelines, state supervision, and probation (Parts 2-3, Juvenile Justice System Personnel Interviews, Rounds 1 and 2). Interviews with 229 youth offenders obtained information on their involvement with and views of the sentencing guidelines, state supervision, and probation during a single interview in either the first or second round (Parts 4-5, Youth Offender Interviews, Rounds 1 and 2). A random sample of paper case files for pre- and post-guideline offenders was selected to analyze changes in contact and interventions provided (Part 6, Youth Offender Case File Analysis). These files were examined for documentation of contact frequency and type with offenders and their families and the number and types of programs used.

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The Influence of Race/Ethnicity on Disparities in Correctional Dispositions: Examining How Risk Assessment & Neighborhood Socioeconomic Context Affects Sentencing Decisions of Adjudicated Juveniles, Ohio, 2010-2016 (ICPSR 37362)

Released/updated on: 2024-05-15

Geographic coverage: United States, Ohio

Time period: 2010-01-01--2016-12-31

The overall goal of this research project was to examine the impact that risk assessment has on the sentencing of racial minority youth and youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods. One of the main goals of correctional risk assessment is to reduce disparate outcomes for certain groups of youth in the juvenile justice system (e.g. Black youth). In practice, risk assessment is used with this goal in mind. However, there is very little research which shows whether or not risk assessment actually has its intended effects on sentencing. Therefore, this study set out to examine whether or not risk assessment reduces the sentencing gap seen in most research for minority youth and youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods. In addition, several other important research topics were explored to understand the role that race and socioeconomic disadvantage play in the juvenile justice system. These research topics included: (1) variation in the predictive validity of risk assessment across race, (2) variation in the predictive validity of risk assessment across neighborhood disadvantage, and (3) the moderating effects of race/gender and court dispositions on the predictive validity of risk assessment.

To achieve the research goals in this study, data was collected from a large juvenile court in a Midwestern County. Information from 4,383 youth that came into contact with the court between January 2010 and December 2016 were included in the study. Data was collected that related to youth demographics, neighborhood characteristics in which youth lived, risk assessments data measured by the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS), treatment programming received, court dispositions/sentencing, and recidivism.

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Therapeutic Change, Length of Stay, and Recidivism in Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders in Washington State, 2008-2015 (ICPSR 36226)

Released/updated on: 2023-02-28

Geographic coverage: Washington

Time period: 2008-01-01--2015-01-01

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This is a quasi-experimental, observational study using administrative data to assess whether time in juvenile placement was associated with the acquisition of social-emotional skills and subsequent felony recidivism. Concurrent with a change in juvenile sentencing policy in Washington State a comprehensive risk and needs assessment tool (R-PACT) was piloted to investigate the impact that therapeutically oriented incarceration had on youth. This tool was made up of 12 domains of risk and needs, including a section on dynamic factors related to therapeutic skills. Youth were admitted into the study in two cohorts, a main study cohort and a replication study cohort.

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Validation of the Los Angeles County [California] Probation Department's Risk and Needs Assessment Instruments, 1997-1999 (ICPSR 3715)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30

Geographic coverage: United States, Los Angeles, California

Time period: 1997-04-01--1999-06-01

In 1996, the Los Angeles County Probation Department developed a set of six instruments to better assess offender risks and needs. Each instrument was intended to serve a specific purpose, with separate instruments used for adult and juvenile populations and release and placement decisions. The instruments were to be completed by probation staff. These instruments were tested in a pilot project by probation field staff in 1997. The probation department then asked RAND to re-examine the six instruments for instrument integrity, use of overrides, and relationship to long-term recidivism outcomes. The probation department's research staff had completed the instruments between April and December 1997 using available reports and case file information. RAND's involvement in the study began after all samples had been selected and instruments completed. The probation department gave RAND the data on instrument scores. Recidivism data were gathered at 6, 12, and 18 months after the instruments' administration. For juveniles data on the nature and date of arrest were available from the Juvenile Automated Information files. Data on adult re-arrests were unavailable, but the Adult Probation System provided the date, nature, and disposition of offenses referred to probation.