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Black and Latino/a youths are overrepresented in multiple parts of the juvenile justice system, including pre-adjudicated detention. These differences in detention outcomes capture racial disparities in detention decisions, differences in other characteristics of youths’ cases, and structural issues that extend beyond the juvenile justice system itself. In this project, we aimed to identify and quantify how specific decisions and inflection points in the detention process may contribute to racial disparities in detention outcomes in Harris County.
Using data for the more than 40,000 youths referred to the juvenile justice system in Harris County between 2010 and 2022, we rigorously analyzed racial disparities in detention outcomes while accounting for multiple confounding characteristics. Furthermore, we meticulously disaggregate the detention process into multiple steps, aiming to identify which of these steps play a larger role in explaining racial disparities.
Overall, our analysis of data prior to 2021, when multiple changes to detention practices were implemented, shows that substantial racial disparities existed throughout the entire detention process, especially affecting Black youth. We find that most of the differences in admissions and formal detentions stemmed from differences in the rates at which groups of youth were transferred to the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) following an arrest. These initial disparities were then carried forward to the following steps in the process, starting with initial admissions to detention and extending all the way to formal detentions in hearings.
Nevertheless, there are encouraging signs when we look at the most recent data. A preliminary analysis of detention decisions for 2021 and 2022 finds no evidence of disparities in multiple detention outcomes, including admissions to detention and formal detentions. Despite these improvements, our results suggest that Black youth may still be more likely to be taken to the detention center following an arrest.
You can find the full report here
This project is part of our long-term partnership with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD), in which we aim to quantitatively characterize the multiple decisions that affect the youth in the system, rigorously evaluate programs and services, and identify racial disparities throughout the system. Our research will directly inform HCJPD leadership, as well as other stakeholders, such as the Harris County Juvenile Board, as they implement policies, changes, and programs to achieve their vision for youth justice in Harris County.