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Juveniles in Corrections
Facility Characteristics
Q: Are most youth held in small facilities?
A: More than two-thirds (68%) of facilities were small (holding 20 or fewer residents), but more than half (51%) of youth were held in medium facilities (holding 21-100 residents) in 2020.

Youth held for an offense in residential placement by facility size and facility type, 2020

Facility size Number of
facilities		 Percent of
facilities		 Number of
youth		 Percent of
youth
Total 1,323 100% 25,014 100%
1-10 residents 539 41% 2,570 10%
11-20 residents 361 27% 4,921 20%
21-50 residents 301 23% 8,290 33%
51-100 residents 78 6% 4,449 18%
101-200 residents 39 3% 4,094 16%
200+ residents 5 0% 690 3%

Notes: The term ‘youth’ refers to persons under age 21 who were in a facility because they were charged with or adjudicated for an offense.

Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant effects on all stages of the juvenile justice system, including juvenile residential facilities, which may have impacted multiple aspects of the 2020 JRFC data, such as reporting, the number of youth in residential placement, and the services received.

[ CSV file ]

  • The largest facilities—those holding more than 200 residents—accounted for less than 1% of all facilities; these facilities held 3% of all youth in placement in 2020.
  • The smallest facilities—those holding 10 or fewer residents—accounted for 41% of all facilities; these facilities held 10% of all youth in placement in 2020.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08501.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on January 10, 2023.

Data Source: Authors' analysis of the Juvenile Residential Facility Census 2020 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: OJJDP.

 

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