The number of juvenile offenders in residential placement is decreasing, a national survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice reveals.
“Findings of the 2011 survey are generally positive — the population of juvenile offenders in residential placement has declined 42 percent since 1997,” the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement 2014 report found.
California leads the nation in the number of juveniles in placement, the majority of which had committed first offenses that include criminal homicide, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault, the report said.
Detention centers make up 86 percent of “residential placements,” followed by shelter, group homes and camps.
The vast majority of those held in juvenile residential placement are for (delinquency offenses), behaviors that would be criminal law violations for adults.
About three percent of those held in these residential programs are for (status offenders) youths who ran away from home, truancy and for having behavioral problems.
These residential facilities are half-owned by non-profit and for-profit corporations.
“Although there are more private than public facilities nationwide, public facilities hold the majority of juvenile offenders on any given day,” the report states.
Allocation of juvenile offenders to privately owned residential placement or government residential placement is determined by a court.
The report further determined that those held in private facilities typically stay longer than in public facilities.
“Compared with public facilities, private facilities had larger proportions of youth with less serious offenses, (e.g. simple assault, drug and status offenses).”
Females make up 14 percent of those held in these facilities, Black males make up 40 percent of all males held, 32 percent are White, and 23 percent Hispanic.
In Nebraska, youth placement rates per 100,000 residents were 1,476 for Black, 197 Whites, and 340 Hispanics.
