Behind the Juvenile Commitment Decline

• In Event: Issues in Juvenile Corrections: Declining Numbers, Community Alternatives, Privatization, and Visitation

Abstract

Nationally, juvenile commitment rates have fallen since the late 1990s. This decline coincides with dropping arrest rates but also comes at a time when many states have implemented juvenile justice reforms aimed at prioritizing space in residential facilities for higher-risk youth adjudicated for serious crimes. This presentation describes trends in commitment rates nationally and for the four states (California, Florida, New York, and Texas) that have seen the largest declines in number of youth incarcerated. Analyzing the states’ data from 2004 to 2014, I determine the effects of arrest rates and policy reforms on commitment reductions.

Author

• Arna L. Carlock, The Pew Charitable Trusts