Age at Referral

Detention
Youth younger than 16 accounted for 56% of the cases that involved detention in 1995, while those younger than 14 accounted for 15% (table 23). The age profile of delinquency cases that involved detention changed only slightly between 1986 and 1995. The proportion of detention cases that involved youth younger than 16 rose from 54% in 196 to 56% in 1995.

Detention was used more frequently for older juveniles in 1995. Detention was used in 13% of delinquency cases involving 12-year-olds, 19% of cases involving 14-year-olds, and 21% of cases involving 16-year-olds (table 24). In general, the likelihood of detention increased for each successive age group through age 15 across all offense categories. Detention was equally or less likely for cases involving 17-year-olds than for cases involving 16-year-olds for all but person offenses.