A study of the characteristics of juveniles and detention homes in the state of Pennsylvania

Abstract

Juveniles are being detained in jails, detention homes, and foster homes and little has been done to evaluate the conditions of these facilities or the characteristics of those detained. Generally speaking, when detention is properly used, the children in detention will be among the community's most disturbed and aggressively acting-out adolescents. Although, the factor is of importance, the mission of detention is to provide a constructive experience. This study is two-fold in that a statistical analysis of the characteristics of youth(s) detained will be analyzed and secondly, an interview type survey will examine the current detention facilities and the use of jail facilities to detain juveniles in the state of Pennsylvania. All data has been collected within the state of Pennsylvania and therefore no inference can be made to national trends. Part I of the study deals with an analysis of data collected by the Governor's Justice Commission in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the type of youths detained in 1974. Part II, the interview survey, involves data analyzed from sampled counties within the state of Pennsylvania to determine the detention rate of juveniles in jails. Overall, the study is being done to shed some light on the current juvenile detention policies and practices in the state of Pennsylvania.