Acknowledgments

Introduction

Juvenile Justice Policy and Problems, Policies, and Program Performance in the States

HAWAII-Painting a Portrait of Juvenile Robbery

ARIZONA-Assessing Juvenile Gang Activity

NEBRASKA-Portraying Juvenile Crime over Time

MASSACHUSETTS- Evaluating Cops and Kids

NEW MEXICO-Mixing Juveniles with Adults

KANSAS-Projecting the Number of Juveniles in Adult Prisons

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From "Juvenile Offenders in Nebraska 1997," Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.
CONTACT PERSON: Michael Overton

Problem Statement

In Nebraska in 1997, the focus on youth and communities had been increasing for a number of years, from the local level through state government. Often at the heart of the discussion was crime. A 1997 survey by the Nebraska Crime Commission found that 35% of Nebraskans felt that crime was the most serious issue for America. The media regularly reported incidents that seemed to indicate that crime was everywhere. Many people felt that a generation of young people were in danger, while others worked to bring together their neighborhoods and cities.

Nebraska saw a decrease in its crime rate of 3% from 1996 to 1997, virtually the same as the national figure of 3.2%. For policymakers, however, the public’s perception of its safety was more important than statistics. While crime was not rampant, it did appear that the types of crime and the way people looked at crime had changed. At the time this project was undertaken, there was also a perception that juveniles were involved in crime more often, and involved in different types of crime, than they had been in the past.

This project describes how juveniles in Nebraska were processed at certain stages as well as how some juvenile arrest activity corresponded to adult activity. The goal of the project was to provide an objective overview of juvenile crime and juvenile case processing in the state. The project also sought to identify trends in juvenile crime over the years, and to compare adult and juvenile crime and arrest trends and rates.

Purposes of Data

This project brought together data focusing on juvenile activity that were maintained by the Nebraska Crime Commission over a number of years. It did not purport to be definitive in its inclusion of juvenile data throughout the system or in its analysis. By providing data covering a number of years and in a number of areas, this project answered some of the questions raised by Nebraskans about juvenile crime and juvenile justice and raised some new questions. The project’s examination of trends in juvenile crime and justice system responses to that crime provided a chronological portrait of juvenile justice in Nebraska to policymakers seeking perspective and baselines for rational determination of future policy actions in the area.

Data Collection

The Nebraska Crime Commission regularly collects information relating to juveniles, crime, and the criminal justice system. That information is used in a wide range of applications, including planning by state and local policymakers, and is distributed in a number of different formats to help the public and the criminal justice community understand what is happening in Nebraska. The Crime Commission also publishes reports, such as Crime in Nebraska and Juveniles and Violence in Nebraska, that examine juvenile justice activity. Statewide and local-level data are available to meet differing needs. The Crime Commission, for instance, uses the data to assess the need for and implement community programs across the state and to analyze local juvenile detention options.

This project analyzed juvenile crime data collected routinely in the state. Specifically, the analyses focused on juvenile and adult arrests, juvenile court petitions, and the number of juveniles under correctional supervision.

Data Analysis Based on Purposes of Data

The Nebraska researchers found that activity for both adults and juveniles in the state justice system had changed significantly over the last 20 years. A number of areas were found that deserved further examination, as described below.

• From 1978 to 1997, the number of juvenile arrests increased 68%, from 12,172 arrests in 1978 to 20,489 in 1997. Adult arrests rose 141% during this same time period.
• The number of juvenile arrests increased from 26.6 arrests per 1,000 juveniles in 1978 to 46.2 arrests per 1,000 juveniles in 1997. The number of adult arrests increased from 29 arrests per 1,000 adults in 1978 to 64 arrests per 1,000 adults in 1997.
• Juvenile weapons arrests increased 324% from 1978 to 1997.
• Juvenile arrests for violent crimes increased 26% from 1978 to 1997. However, there had been a 30% decrease in juvenile violent crime arrests from 1995-1997.
• Juvenile arrests for aggravated assault decreased 30% from 1995 to 1997. However, juvenile arrests for simple assault, which was not considered a violent crime but had the potential to be violent, increased 519% from 1978 to 1997.
• In 1997, juvenile arrest rates were 210% higher for blacks that for whites.
• Overall, metropolitan counties had higher juvenile arrest rates than nonmetropolitan counties in 1997. However, some of the highest 1997 county juvenile arrest rates were for nonmetropolitan counties.
• From 1985 to 1997, the number of Juvenile Court petitions increased 86%, and referrals for major offenses increased 106%, while referrals for minor, or status, offenses increased 43%. Neglect/dependent cases increased 53% for the same time period.
• The number of juvenile court referrals for 3rd degree assault increased 370% over the 13-year period, while 1st and 2nd degree juvenile assault referrals remained steady.
• The number of juveniles held under correctional supervision increased from 4,520 in 1990 to 5,128 in 1997, a 13% increase. The number of juveniles on probation in 1997 was 12,007.

Recommendations

The Nebraska Crime Commission did not intend for the data to be used for policy prescription. Instead, the analyses were designed to provide an overview of juvenile justice trends in the state. The purpose of the ongoing data collection efforts is to illuminate the context in which state policymakers could develop intelligent and effective programs in the juvenile justice arena.

Real and Potential Applications of Data

As is the case with similar data collection efforts in other states, the data generated by the Nebraska researchers documented areas to be addressed by communities and criminal justice policymakers. Decisionmakers will now be better able to focus on problem areas and to put into perspective the reality of juvenile justice issues in Nebraska over an extended period of time. The chronological detail also provides a comparative framework for other state statistical sources and policymakers to use with their own data and for benchmarking and analysis of similarities and differences in their own programs.