Iowa State Demographics In 1996, Iowa's youth population under age 18 was approximately 799,300 (Casey Foundation 1998). Of the State's children, approximately 5 percent were living in families with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty level in 1995. Further, it is estimated that in 1995, approximately 25 percent of Iowa's children under age 13 were living in working-poor families or families where at least one parent was working 50 or more hours a week but the family's income was still below the poverty level (Casey Foundation 1998). Iowa ranked 7th in the country in terms of teen birth rate for 1995. This same year, the birth rate in the State was approximately 22 births per 1,000 young women ages 15-17. This was up from 19 births per 1,000 young women in 1985 (Casey Foundation 1998). During the 1994-95 school year, young women represented 42 percent (2,079) of those students who dropped out (Iowa Department of Education 1996). Overview of the Juvenile Justice System Iowa has eight judicial districts, and all cases involving juvenile offenders are handled by the State Juvenile Court, which is a separate court within the judicial branch of State government. Juvenile court judges are initially appointed by the Governor and then elected by the public for subsequent terms (Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning 1997a, p. 30). The State Department of Human Services (DHS) is responsible for ensuring public safety and providing appropriate placements for all juvenile offenders. To this end, the State has 10 detention centers with a total of 196 beds available. Further, DHS operates the State's one secure facility, the Iowa Training School for Boys, and a secure cottage of 10 beds for female offenders. DHS is also responsible for a myriad of prevention and intervention services for youth (Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning 1997a, p. 30). The Formula Grants Program for the State is housed within the Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning in the Iowa Department of Human Rights. Offense Patterns and Processing of Juvenile Female Offenders The following statistics give an overview of the information available on female offending and processing patterns in Iowa:
The specific objectives of Iowa's efforts to address the needs of female juvenile offenders have remained consistent since 1995. They include the following initiatives.
Annie E. Casey Foundation. 1998. KIDS COUNT Online Data Service. Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD. Iowa Child and Family Policy Center. 1994. Family Matters: Indicators of Well Being for Iowa's Children. Des Moines, IA. Iowa Department of Education. 1996. Department of Education Fact Sheet. Des Moines, IA. Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning. 1994. Iowa Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Three Year Plan FY 1994. Submitted to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC. Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning. 1995. Iowa 1995 Challenge Activity E Grant Application. Submitted to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC. Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning. 1997a. Iowa Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Three Year Plan FY 1997. Submitted to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC. Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning. 1997b. Iowa 1997 Challenge Activity E Program Summary. Des Moines, IA. Poe-Yamagata, E., and J.A. Butts. 1996. Female Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System: Statistics Summary. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC.
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