Probation Violations and Juvenile Justice Decision Making

Abstract

Prior research has cited that probation violations and in particular technical violations are increasing as a justification for increased social control within juvenile justice proceedings. This issue is especially acute for minority youth. The focus of the present study is to address a void in the literature by assessing the interrelationships among probation violations and race/ethnicity with juvenile justice decision making within six jurisdictions in a Mid-Atlantic state. The findings reveal that probation violations result in severe outcomes at some stages and leniency at other points in the proceedings. Blacks and Hispanics individually impact decision making in a similar manner. Probation violations and race/ethnicity do not interact to the extent as predicted. Implications are discussed in the context of reducing the disproportionate presence and confinement of minority youth in the juvenile justice system.