Contextual Characteristics in Juvenile Sentencing: Examining the Impact of Concentrated Disadvantage on Youth Court Outcomes

This book examines how concentrated disadvantage impacts juvenile court outcomes and considers the implications for the current state of juvenile justice processing. It uses case-level data from a Southern state and contextual-level data from the 2010 US Census and American Community Survey to assess whether youth living in neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage experience harsher outcomes than their counterparts from other types of neighborhoods. Results suggest a direct impact of concentrated disadvantage on diversion, adjudication, and probation type, and that race and ethnicity interact with concentrated disadvantage in impacting adjudication and probation outcomes. The research expands the knowledge of macrolevel influences on juvenile court outcomes and highlights the discretion of judges in exerting social control.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 132 pages
\n Publication date: 31 March 2021
\n Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
\n

While there exists extensive research on juvenile justice and sentencing, the majority of it concentrates on individual and extralegal factors such as age, race, and gender, with limited attention given to the influence of macro-level factors. This book aims to assess the impact of a specific contextual factor, concentrated disadvantage, on juvenile court outcomes and its implications for the current state of juvenile justice processing.

To accomplish this, Maroun utilizes case-level data from a Southern state with a substantial and diverse population, as well as contextual-level data from the 2010 US Census and American Community Survey. The primary objective is to examine whether youth residing in neighborhoods characterized by concentrated disadvantage face harsher outcomes compared to their peers from other types of neighborhoods. Additionally, the study investigates whether concentrated disadvantage interacts with individual race/ethnicity to influence juvenile court outcomes.

The results of the analysis indicate a direct influence of concentrated disadvantage on diversion, adjudication, and probation type. Furthermore, race significantly interacts with concentrated disadvantage in impacting adjudication and probation outcomes, while ethnicity significantly interacts with concentrated disadvantage in impacting disposition and commitment type.

This research contributes to expanding our understanding of macrolevel influences on juvenile court outcomes, providing support for the notion that community context plays a significant role in juvenile justice processing. The findings also highlight the fact that judges exercise discretion alongside other legal and extralegal factors to exert social control, and their approach varies at different stages of the processing. Consequently, this monograph holds immense value for those involved in youth and juvenile justice efforts, as well as scholars interested in issues related to race, class, and social policy.

\n Weight: 226g\n
Dimension: 152 x 227 x 14 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780367530235\n \n