This study examines various aspects of the criminal justice system's response to juvenile delinquency. First, the question of whether blacks and whites are treated differently by that system is assessed. Differences in the level and types of delinquent behavior engaged in by black and white youths are examined, as are differences in the types of punishments given to black and white juvenile offenders. Also, the question of whether the criminal justice system (as currently composed) actually serves as little more than a "criminal academy," is examined. The dependent variables for the first two questions are levels of delinquency and severity of response by authority to delinquent behavior. The independent variables for these questions is race of the offender. The dependent variable for the third question is serious criminal behavior beyond delinquency, the independent variable is severity of response by authorities to delinquent behavior. Research will be conducted at three high schools where 90 teenage males will be surveyed. The results are expected to show no difference between blacks and whites in types and levels of delinquency engaged in, while blacks receive more severe treatment for delinquency than do whites. Finally, youths who receive severe treatment for delinquency are expected to be more likely to commit later serious offenses than are those who receive leniency. These results will have impact on how juvenile delinquency is treated, pointing more toward an intervention and rehabilitation model than toward a punishment and incarceration model.
The criminal justice system in the United States is often accused of being racist. African-Americans are disproportionately sentenced to death, make up the bulk of the prison population, and are subjected to daily ignomies such as harassing motor vehicle stops. That there is a higher crime rate in largely black urban communities is seldom disputed, but the causes and ...