Custody Data (1997-Present)

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Q:	Does the race/ethnicity profile of juveniles in residential placement vary by offense and gender?
A:	Non-Hispanic black juveniles accounted for 34% of female juveniles and 41% of male juveniles in residential placement in 2006.

Race/ethnicity profile of juvenile offenders in residential placement, 2006

Most serious offense	Total		White		Minority
Most serious offense	Total		White		Total Minority		Black		Hispanic		American Indian¹		Asian¹

Male	100	%	34	%	66	%	41	%	21	%	2	%	1	%
Delinquency	100		33		67		41		22		2		1
Person	100		31		69		44		20		1		1
Criminal homicide	100		20		80		44		30		2		3
Sexual assault	100		54		46		28		15		2		1
Robbery	100		11		89		66		21		1		1
Aggravated assault	100		24		76		44		27		1		2
Simple assault	100		35		65		42		18		2		1
Other person	100		40		60		40		17		1		1
Property	100		37		63		38		21		2		1
Burglary	100		39		61		37		20		2		1
Theft	100		39		61		41		16		1		1
Auto theft	100		26		74		43		26		2		2
Arson	100		56		44		27		14		2		1
Other property	100		36		64		34		26		2		1
Drug	100		28		72		47		22		1		1
Drug trafficking	100		15		85		66		17		1		1
Other drug	100		32		68		41		23		1		1
Public order	100		33		67		40		22		2		2
Weapons	100		18		82		50		28		1		2
Other public order	100		44		56		34		18		2		1
Technical violation**	100		33		67		38		25		2		1
Status	100		48		52		35		10		4		1

Female	100		43		57		34		16		3		1
Delinquency	100		42		58		35		18		3		1
Person	100		35		65		44		16		3		1
Criminal homicide	100		*33		*67		*44		*19		*1		*1
Sexual assault	100		66		34		23		8		3		0
Robbery	100		13		87		61		20		4		1
Aggravated assault	100		28		72		49		19		2		1
Simple assault	100		42		58		39		13		3		1
Other person	100		40		60		37		16		3		1
Property	100		45		55		31		19		3		1
Burglary	100		44		56		32		20		2		1
Theft	100		46		54		34		14		3		1
Auto theft	100		44		56		26		23		4		1
Arson	100		*51		*49		*27		*20		*0		*0
Other property	100		42		58		32		19		3		1
Drug	100		55		45		18		21		3		1
Drug trafficking	100		50		50		24		23		2		2
Other drug	100		55		45		17		21		4		1
Public order	100		41		59		36		17		3		1
Weapons	100		22		78		43		30		3		2
Other public order	100		45		55		35		15		3		1
Technical violation**	100		43		57		32		20		3		1
Status	100		53		47		31		6		6		1

¹American Indian includes Alaskan Natives; Asian includes Pacific Islanders.
* Percent based on fewer than 100 observations.
**Technical violations include violations of probation, parole, and valid court order.

Notes: Total includes a small number of youth for whom race/ethnicity was not reported or was reported as other. Detail may not add to total due to rounding.

The "Hispanic" category includes persons of Latin American or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. These persons are not included in the other race/ethnicity categories.

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

[ Excel file ]

The racial profile of females in residential placement was different from the profile for males. Whites accounted for the greatest proportion of females in residential placement (43%). In comparison, among males, blacks accounted for the largest proportion (41%).
Racial profiles varied by offense for both males and females. For males, the offense categories with the highest proportion of blacks were drug trafficking and robbery. Among females, the offense categories with the highest proportion of blacks were robbery and aggravated assault.
Juveniles held for arson and sexual assault offenses had the largest proportion of non-minority whites. This was true for males as well as females.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08211.asp?qaDate=2006. Released on September 12, 2008.

Data Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement 2006 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: OJJDP.