Deservingness and Punishment in Juvenile Justice: Do Black Youth Grow Up “Faster” in the Eyes of the Court?

The present study investigated whether race moderates the effect of age on juvenile court dispositions in ways that illuminate a subtler form of racial disparities than has been previously identified. Drawing on prior theory and research, we hypothesize that at young ages, virtually all youth are perceived as children and met with treatment-oriented responses. As youth grow older, however, we anticipate that Black defendants will be perceived as more culpable and more deserving of punishment than similarly-aged White defendants and that disposition patterns will reflect that differential perception. Using data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice ( N = 124,075), the present study examines a five-category disposition using a multinomial regression model with interactions between age and race variables. We found mixed support for the hypotheses. On the one hand, compared to similarly-aged White defendants, Black defendants became significantly less likely to be diverted—the most treatment-oriented disposition—and significantly more likely to be transferred—the most punitive disposition—as age increased. On the other hand, race did not moderate age effects for dismissal, probation, or commitment. There is thus some evidence that age may be racialized for some dispositions, but not others. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

The Processing of Homicides in the Courts: An Examination of Multiple Case Outcomes

The current study employs focal concerns theory to address the role that race/ethnicity plays on various court dispositions of homicide offenders in Newark, NJ, a location where the majority of residents are African American and Latino. Two research questions are examined: (1) Does ethnicity play an important role in the decision to dismiss a case against a homicide offender, convict via a plea deal, convict via trial, acquit via trial, and sentence length? and (2) Which legal and extralegal factors play a role in these decision points during the processing of homicide offenders? The findings suggest that when there is little ethnic variation of defendants, victims, and the citizenry, other extralegal variables take precedence in informing the focal concerns of court actors. The results also suggest that different legal and extralegal variables affect the odds of distinct court outcomes. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.

Disposition of Charges, Out-of-Home Mental Health Treatment, and Juvenile Justice Recidivism

This study examined whether the disposition of juvenile justice encounters among youth with severe emotional disturbance was associated with the likelihood of recidivism. Court dispositions, such as probation and diversion, as well as Medicaid-funded out-of-home mental health treatment, were compared. Data sources included the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and Medicaid claims data. Youth receiving probation had the highest recidivism rates. Among youth in out-of-home treatment, those receiving treatment in foster care services had the lowest recidivism rates. Youth placed into a diversion program were less likely to be re-arrested for a felony, whereas youth receiving inpatient psychiatric services were less likely to be re-arrested for a misdemeanor. Mental health treatment may reduce the likelihood of youth continuing on increasing criminal trajectories.