National Profile of the Organization of State Juvenile Corrections Systems

Abstract

State juvenile correctional agencies are not identical in terms of their structure and policies, making interpretation of national custody data difficult. Without a detailed understanding of these nuances and the ability to categorize states into analogous groups, differences among state custody statistics are difficult to interpret. To address the challenges inherent in compiling national data, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency surveyed each state with regard to policies, decision-making processes, and details about the various components of the justice system, including courts, detention, commitment facilities, and aftercare, all of which have a profound effect on admission rates, offense profiles, and average lengths of stay.