Minority proportion of juvenile offenders in residential placement, 2010

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Working for Youth Justice and Safety

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Custody Data (1997-Present)

Q:	Does the minority proportion of juvenile offenders in residential placement vary by state and placement status?
A:	In nearly all states, a disproportionate number of minorities were in residential placement in 2010.

State of offense	Minority proportion
	Juvenile population		Total CJRP		Detained		Committed
	Juvenile population		Total CJRP		Detained		Public		Private

U.S. total	43	%	68	%	71	%	68	%	64	%

Alabama	38		62		62		68		57
Alaska	41		61		62		56		*67
Arizona	55		66		62		71		*57
Arkansas	31		57		62		63		55
California	69		87		86		88		86

Colorado	38		56		57		57		58
Connecticut	34		81		81		*86		79
Delaware	42		81		*85		77		*77
District of Columbia	88		95		*94		*94		*91
Florida	51		62		63		62		63

Georgia	50		83		79		85		79
Hawaii	81		93		*100		*75		*100
Idaho	20		26		27		26		*18
Illinois	44		67		82		60		62
Indiana	22		41		48		40		40

Iowa	15		38		39		50		37
Kansas	27		52		54		55		46
Kentucky	15		39		43		36		*45
Louisiana	45		78		79		77		79
Maine	7		15		*0		11		*100

Maryland	50		83		88		76		83
Massachusetts	28		66		68		71		64
Michigan	28		64		69		52		69
Minnesota	22		58		69		55		58
Mississippi	49		82		81		81		*50

Missouri	23		49		61		45		*83
Montana	16		42		*47		*42		*36
Nebraska	23		56		63		62		53
Nevada	57		72		71		76		*61
New Hampshire	9		21		*0		*25		*33

New Jersey	44		88		88		89		*71
New Mexico	71		82		84		83		*78
New York	46		77		84		93		64
North Carolina	41		69		73		79		*68
North Dakota	15		43		*50		*45		*41

Ohio	22		56		56		55		67
Oklahoma	38		64		60		70		*57
Oregon	28		39		33		41		38
Pennsylvania	26		74		67		78		74
Rhode Island	31		64		*100		*70		68

South Carolina	42		69		64		70		72
South Dakota	21		57		58		59		55
Tennessee	29		61		56		67		49
Texas	63		78		79		78		72
Utah	22		37		36		44		30

Vermont	6		*45		*50		*100		*0
Virginia	39		70		64		71		*94
Washington	33		50		49		47		*83
West Virginia	7		26		19		*34		37
Wisconsin	23		59		71		64		50
Wyoming	18		26		*33		28		23

* Percent based on fewer than 100 observations.

Notes: The juvenile population is the number of juveniles age 10 through the upper age of original juvenile court jurisdiction in each State.

Minorities include blacks, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and those identified as "other race."

To preserve the privacy of the juvenile residents, cell counts have been rounded to the nearest multiple of three. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Percentages are based on rounded totals. More information on this rounding rule is available on the EZACJRP Web site.

[ Map of minority to nonminority ratio ] [ Excel file ]

Minority youth accounted for 43% of the U.S. juvenile population and 68% of juveniles in custody in 2010.
Minorities accounted for 68% of juveniles committed to public facilities nationwide; a proportion nearly twice their proportion in the juvenile population.
Minority proportions tended to be somewhat lower for youth committed to private rather than public facilities.
In 12 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Texas) and the District of Columbia, the minority proportion of the total population of juvenile offenders in residential placement was greater than 75%.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08208.asp?qaDate=2010. Released on December 09, 2011.

Data Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement 2010 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: OJJDP.