Sex

Detention
Male juveniles charged with delinquency offenses were more likely than females to be held in secure facilities while awaiting court disposition. Overall, 20% of male delinquency cases involved detention in 1995 compared with 14% of cases involving females (table 33). Detention was used more often for cases involving male juveniles, regardless of the most serious offense category. Both males and females were least likely to be detained in cases involving property offenses (17% and 10%, respectively).

Between 1986 and 1995, changes in the likelihood of detention were relatively comparable for males and females. For most offenses, the use of detention changed only a few percentage points. Drug cases were an exception. In drug cases involving both males and females, the use of detention increased between 1986 and 1990 and then dropped steadily through 1995. The change in the use of detention forpublic order offense cases involving females was also relatively large; detention declined 9 percentage points between 1986 and 1995.