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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is an agency of the Office of Justice Programs, which in turn is organized under the U.S. Department of Justice. OJJDP maintains an excellent Web site (http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/) which includes a wealth of information about juveniles, juvenile delinquency, offenders, victims, and case processing. Visit this website, look around, and answer the following questions by linking to "Statistical Briefing Book."
How is the juvenile population in the United States expected to change through the year 2015? What is the projection for your state?
What was the birth rate for mothers ages 15-17 in your state in the most recent year reported? How has the rate changed in recent years?
Juveniles accounted for 16% of all Violent Crime Index arrests and 32% of all Property Crime Index arrests in 1999. What are the percentages for arson, stolen property, and murder?
Examine the relationship between juvenile victims and their offenders. What percentage of robberies was committed by non-strangers? Aggravated assaults? Simple assaults?
Study the various case flow charts that depict the movement of juvenile offenders through the juvenile justice system. Select a particular offense and record the number of cases out of a "typical" 1,000 that are petitioned and adjudicated. What dispositions come out of these adjudicated cases? How do the outcomes of petitioned cases compare to non-petitioned cases?
What is the difference between "detention" and "commitment"? What is the approximate commitment rate in your state? What is the approximate detention rate? Explain the difference between these rates.
