A comparison of juvenile court outcomes for Native Americans, African Americans, and whites

A multilevel analysis of juvenile court processes: The importance of community characteristics

“…Studies have found that racial disparity is most pronounced in the beginning stages of involvement with the juvenile court system, specifically the intake and detention decision points (Bishop & Frazier, 1988, 1996Bortner & Reed, 1985;Leiber, 1994;Leiber & Fox, 2005;Leiber & Jamieson, 1995;Leiber & Mack, 2003). In fact, research shows that being detained is a strong predictor of severe treatment at disposition (Bishop & Frazier, 1988, 1992Bortner & Reed, 1985;Feld, 1993;Frazier & Bishop, 1995;Johnson & Secret, 1995;McCarthy & Smith, 1986).…”

“…Studies that have included several racial and ethnic groups show that Hispanic/Latinos are treated more harshly than Whites and Blacks (Maupin & Bond-Maupin, 1999;Dannefer & Schutt, 1982;DeJong & Jackson, 1998) and American Indians receive more severe treatment than Blacks (Leiber, 1994).…”

“…Studies of criminal courts have addressed how attributions of criminal behavior are linked to racial/ethnic stereotypes (Albonetti, 1997;Bridges & Steen, 1998;Crawford, Chiricos, & Kleck, 1998;Steffensmeier & Demuth, 2000;Steffensmeier, Ulmer, & Kramer, 1998) and now a growing number of juvenile court studies are using this theoretical perspective to explain race/ethnicity disparities in juvenile court outcomes (Bortner, 1982;Bridges & Steen, 1998;Dannefer & Schutt, 1982;Leiber, 1994). Not surprisingly, the majority of studies have focused on the role of Black stereotypes in court processes and outcomes.…”

“…These stereotypes or perceptions held by court officials can lead to more punitive treatment of Hispanics/Latinos (Brown & Warner, 1992;Demuth, 2002;2003;Portillos, 2002). Also, stereotypes of American Indians as "outsiders" and prone to drug and alcohol abuse may result in more severe treatment by the criminal justice system (Bachman, Alvarez, & Perkins, 1996;Bynum & Paternoster, 1984;Leiber, 1994;Young, 1990;Zatz, Lujan, & Snyder-Joy, 1991).…”

“…As previously shown, attributions can be linked to specific racial/ethnic groups and can affect offenders in different ways. For example, stereotypes unique to Blacks (Bridges & Steen, 1998;Leiber & Stairs, 1999;Sampson & Laub, 1993), Hispanic/Latinos (Leiber, 1995;Mata & Herrerías, 2002;Portes, 1990), and American Indians (Bynum & Paternoster, 1984;Leiber, 1994;Young, 1990;Zatz, Lujan, & Snyder-Joy, 1991 (Maupin & BondMaupin, 1999;Dannefer & Schutt, 1982), while American Indians are treated less severely than Blacks (Leiber, 1994 While a few studies have examined how juvenile court processing impacts juvenile offending, none have systematically taken into account how various juvenile court outcomes influence adult offending. In order to examine how particular juvenile court outcomes (e.g., diversion, detention, and disposition) affect reoffending, this study will integrate statewide adult criminal history information to juvenile court data and examine how various juvenile court outcomes affect recidivism of juveniles post age 17.…”