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Race And Juvenile Court Decision Making Revisited

, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Philip E. Secret

University of Nebraska at Omaha,

Unfortunately, racism, perpetrated by virtually all of America's governmental institutions, has long been a fact and problem of American life. Prior research suggests that America's juvenile justice systems have not been void of the negative effects of racism; thus, racial equity in dispositional decisions is a major issue in dispensing juvenile justice. The study presented in this research examined Nebraska Crime Commission data over a consecutive six year period and found, all else being equal, that black youths are usually more likely to receive harsher treatment than are whites in terms of: (1) experiencing pre-hearing detention, (2) being formally prosecuted by petition, and (3) receiving a harsher final penalty. With regard to judging an accused youth to be delinquent, the analysis reveals a reversal of the foregoing relationship between race and harshness of the decision.The research concludes with some policy recommendations to remove racial biases from juvenile justice processing.

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