Citation

Onifade E, Barnes A, Campbell C, Mandalari A. J. Ethn. Crim. Justice 2019; 17(3): 203-227.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15377938.2019.1619647

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Disparities in treatment of African American juvenile offenders persist in juvenile justice systems across the United States. This study examined adjudication trends over a ten-year span within a Mid-Western County's juvenile court for African American young offenders subsequent of the system's implementation of the Risk Need Responsivity Model (RNR-Model). Special attention was given to changes in disproportionate minority contact with intensive interventions within the Delinquency Division versus informal probation, which is considered a low intensity and less punitive adjudication path. The findings indicated African Americans were more likely to be referred to low intensity interventions at Intake (Informal Probation) after the RNR Model was implemented, suggesting disparities in contact were partially mitigated by the risk assessment approach. Implications for policy are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

Juveniles; race; recidivism; risk assessment