Sentencing Transferred Juveniles in the Adult Criminal Court

Abstract

Much prior research has demonstrated that race and ethnicity are associated with harsher punishment outcomes among adult defendants in the criminal court. However, few studies have explored these disparities in the sentencing of juvenile offenders who have been transferred to the adult court, and this research has reported conflicting findings. Moreover, the ways in which offenders’ race and ethnicity may interact with their sex, age, and offense type have yet to be explored among this population. Analysis of defendants sentenced in Florida (N = 30,913) reveals that Black transferred juveniles are more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison and are given longer prison sentences than Whites, but Hispanic youth are only penalized in the sentence to jail. Interaction analyses suggest that Black males are sentenced particularly harshly regardless of age, and the effects of race and ethnicity are conditioned by a violent, sex, or drug offense.

An Examination of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Truancy Court

“…Prior literature on race/ethnicity and the juvenile court continue to document racial/ethnic disparities (Bishop & Frazier, 1988; Lehmann et al, 2017; Leiber et al, 2016; Peck et al, 2014; Rodriguez, 2010). According to Leiber and colleagues (2016), racial stereotypes play a role in how the court system makes decisions about juveniles.…”

“…According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, racial/ethnic disparity refers to the overrepresentation of certain racial/ethnic groups in the justice system, especially people of African American and Hispanic descent (Bales & Piquero, 2012; Leiber, Peck, & Beaudry-Cyr, 2016). Even with the decline in juvenile delinquency over that last decade, a large racial/ethnic disparity remains in the U.S. juvenile justice system (Bishop & Frazier, 1988; Lehmann, Chiricos, & Bales, 2017; Leiber et al, 2016; Rodriguez, 2010). There are two hypotheses commonly used to explain why racial/ethnic minority groups represent a larger proportion of offender populations.…”

“…2016). Even with the decline in juvenile delinquency over that last decade, a large racial/ethnic disparity remains in the U.S. juvenile justice system (Bishop & Frazier, 1988;Lehmann, Chiricos, & Bales, 2017;Leiber et al, 2016;Rodriguez, 2010). There are two hypotheses commonly used to explain why racial/ethnic minority groups represent a larger proportion of offender populations.…”

Achieving Juvenile Justice through Abolition: A Critical Review of Social Work’s Role in Shaping the Juvenile Legal System and Steps toward Achieving an Antiracist Future

“…One large-scale study in Florida that had a population size of nearly 31,000 juvenile sentences found that Black youth were almost 2.5 times more likely than White juveniles to receive a jail sentence compared to supervision, which was a statistically significant result (p < 0.001) (Lehmann et al 2017). Similarly, Hispanic students were almost 1.5 times more likely than White youth to receive a jail sentence instead of supervision, which was also statistically significant (p < 0.001) (Lehmann et al 2017). When looking at race and ethnicity as a monolith, Black and Hispanic youth receive longer jail sentences than White juveniles (Lehmann 2018).…”

“…Even when a Black youth is sentenced initially within a juvenile court, they have a much higher likelihood of being sentenced as an adult (Tatum 2003;Rios 2007;Jordan and Freiburger 2010). One large-scale study in Florida that had a population size of nearly 31,000 juvenile sentences found that Black youth were almost 2.5 times more likely than White juveniles to receive a jail sentence compared to supervision, which was a statistically significant result (p < 0.001) (Lehmann et al 2017). Similarly, Hispanic students were almost 1.5 times more likely than White youth to receive a jail sentence instead of supervision, which was also statistically significant (p < 0.001) (Lehmann et al 2017).…”