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Pennsylvania

Statistics on children, youth and families in Pennsylvania from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

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Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

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Juvenile Justice - Juvenile court delinquency dispositions by age group in Pennsylvania

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Why This Indicator Matters

Data on juvenile court delinquency dispositions is crucial for better understanding outcomes within the juvenile justice system. Tracking the total number of dispositions, rather than individual children, provides insights into how often the system addresses allegations of juvenile delinquency without the numbers being skewed by repeat offenders. In Pennsylvania, data reveals a general downward trend over time. This decline is consistent with national figures that suggest youth incarceration rates have dropped by 75% between 2000 and 2022, although racial and ethnic disparities persist.[1] National data also shows a significant decrease in juvenile violent crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, most likely caused by reductions in interpersonal interactions between youth during this period.[2] Juvenile offending then increased substantially in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Pennsylvania’s data indicates similar trends, with increases in juvenile court delinquency dispositions in 2022 for the first time in over a decade. These changes could suggest juvenile crimes are once again on the rise, despite previous years of progress.

[1] Rovner, J. (2024). Youth Justice by the Numbers. The Sentencing Project. https://www.sentencingproject.org/policy-brief/youth-justice-by-the-numbers/

[2] Lantz, B. & Knapp, K.G. (2024). Trends in Juvenile Offending: What You Need to Know. Council on Criminal Justice. https://counciloncj.org/trends-in-juvenile-offending-what-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Juvenile%2Djuvenile%20co%2Doffending%20was,%2Djuvenile%20offending%20fell%204%25.

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Definition and Source

PROVIDER

Definition

The total number of juvenile court delinquency dispositions by year and age group. A disposition is defined as an allegation of delinquency disposed of by the juvenile probation department and/or the court. This indicator does not reflect the number of children, but rather the number of dispositions for all children in the given year.

Data Source

Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges Commission’s Annual Report - Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Dispositions

Notes

ND = No Data Available.

Last Updated

January 2024