A Spatial Analysis of Juvenile Detention in Montana

• In Event: Juvenile Detention: Public Safety, Alternatives, and Reoffending

Abstract

The use of juvenile detention has been decreasing across the U.S. with the increasing use of detention alternatives. However, counties in Montana are often not equip to provide alternative for youth leaving secure confinement as their only option. At the discretion of a police officer in Montana, youth can be placed into secure confinement prior to a probable cause hearing before a juvenile court judge. While the law specifies that youth must have a probable cause hearing within 24 hours, weekend and holidays can potentially cause youth to stay in confinement up to 5 days. The purpose of this research is to investigate where in Montana juvenile detention occurs with the highest frequency and what factors are contributing to different rates of detention throughout the state. This analysis also investigates how detention rates have changed over the past five years and what the implications of these changes are for the future of juvenile detention in Montana. This research incorporates a spatial investigation through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) along with an analysis of data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) with unique juvenile delinquency data queried in Montana from 2010 to 2015.

Authors

• Patrick D. McKay, University of Montana (Missoula)

• Dusten Hollist, University of Montana