Latino and Hispanic Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

Case Processing Characteristics
More than half (53%) of all delinquency cases involving Hispanic youth in 2014
were petitioned to court for formal processing; less than 1% of these petitioned
cases were judicially waived to criminal court.
Case Processing Characteristics of Delinquency Cases
Involving Hispanic Youth, by Offense, 2014
Decision Total Person Property Drugs Public order
Total 175,900 40,200 55,900 28,400 51,400
Non petitioned 46.6% 43.8% 48.5% 55.2% 42.1%
Petitioned 53.4% 56.2% 51.5% 44.8% 57.9%
Waived 0.5% 1.4% 0.4% 0.5% 0.1%
Adjudicated 59.1% 57.3% 57.4% 55.2% 63.8%
Not adjudicated 40.3% 41.3% 42.2% 44.4% 36.1%
Adjudicated
Placed 31.2% 32.2% 29.6% 21.0% 35.6%
Probation 62.0% 63.0% 62.7% 72.4%
57.0%
Case Processing Characteristics by Race/ Ethnicity
Case processing characteristics vary across race/ethnicity groups. In 2014,
Hispanic youth were equally as likely to be referred to juvenile court for a
delinquency offense as their white, non-Hispanic peers, but 70% less likely to be
referred than black, non-Hispanic youth.
Counts Hispanic White* Black*
Population (ages 10 to upper age) 7,022,100 17,514,200 4,662,800
Cases referred to juvenile court 175,900 422,400 350,100
Cases diverted 48,000 134,700 71,300
Cases petitioned 41,300 76,200 88,900
Cases adjudicated 55,500 118,700 108,200
Adjudicated cases resulting in probation 34,400 76,500 66,100
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