Juveniles with Weapons 09

Page 1

CJA

Research Brief No. 21

NEW YORK CITY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCY, Inc.

September 2009

A series of reports summarizing current research from CJA Executive Director, Jerome E. McElroy Director, Research Dept., Richard R. Peterson, Ph.D. Research Brief Editor & Deputy Director, Research, Mary T. Phillips, Ph.D. Graphics & Production, Raymond P. Caligiure Administrative Associate, Annie Su

CJA is a not-for-profit corporation that provides a variety of criminal justice services under a contract with the City of New York. CJA staff interview defendants arrested in New York City, make recommendations for pretrial release, and notify released defendants of upcoming court dates. Within the Agency, the Research Department conducts studies covering a broad array of criminal justice policy concerns. The Research Brief series summarizes the results of some of these studies. New York City Criminal Justice Agency, Inc. 52 Duane Street New York, NY 10007 PHONE: 646 213-2500 FAX: 646 213-2650 WEB: www.nycja.org © 2009 NYC Criminal Justice Agency, Inc.

JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND WEAPONS By Marian J. Gewirtz The research examined the freThe research discussed in this report explores the role weapons play quency of weapon offenses by selected in juvenile offender cases in the adult case and demographic characteristics and assessed whether JO cases assocourts in New York City. In accordance with New York ciated with weapon offenses received State’s Juvenile Offender (JO) Law, different treatment by the courts. In addition, the research adcases for 14- and 15-year old youths dressed how these charges charged with selected serious affect rates of re-arrest felony offenses, and 13Juvenile offenders and length of time year olds charged are often involved with to first re-arrest with second deguns and other weapons. and to the first gree murder, are Do JOs with weapon charges violent re-arrest. brought directly differ from other juveniles in case and to the adult rather demographic characteristics? The research was than the juvenile Do their re-arrest designed to explore court for prosecution. patterns differ? several questions: Previous CJA research on juveniles with cases disposed in the • What types of JO cases are associSupreme Court, the most serious of the ated with weapon offenses? JO cases, has documented a high like- • How do JO cases with different lihood of recidivism for these youth weapon offenses compare? (see Research Brief #15). This study, which was based on the same sample • How do different weapon charges afof JOs, compares juveniles with gun fect the processing of JO cases? charges to those with other weapon • Do re-arrest rates vary by the type charges and to those without weapon of weapon charge associated with a JO charges. case? This Research Brief is adapted from Juvenile Offenders With Weapon Charges (2008) by Marian Gewirtz, Senior Research Analyst The full report is available on CJA’s web site: www.nycja.org/research/research.htm Research Assistance: Annie Su, Raymond P. Caligiure Systems Programming: Wayne Nehwadowich Address comments to the author at mgewirtz@nycja.org Please cite as follows, adapted to your citation style: Gewirtz, Marian. 2009. “Juvenile Offenders And Weapons.” Research Brief series, no. 21. New York: New York City Criminal Justice Agency, Inc.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.