WCCF has just released a Detention Data Report 2013, a summary of data from the Juvenile Secure Detention Register (JSDR) managed by the Department of Justice. All Juvenile Detention facilities are required to report admission data through the JSDR. In 2013 there were 7,695 youth admitted to the state’s Juvenile Detention facilities. That is a decline of almost 15% from 2012.

Despite the fewer number of admissions, the average number of youth held on a given day in 2013 remained about the same as in recent years, perhaps somewhat as the result of the development of long-term detention programs in a number of counties.

Other areas in which we could still improve include:
(1) Only 24% of all admissions were based on an underlying crime against another person – in many facilities, youth end up in detention for non-person & “technical” violations of rules rather than presenting any immediate danger to others;
(2) White youth made up only 40% of admissions even though they represent 72% of the juvenile population; this disparity has not changed in recent years, and one has to wonder what needs to be done to reach greater equity; and
(3) Only one facility (Milwaukee County) had an average daily population that exceeded 50% of its capacity. If nothing else, this means there is room for 17 year olds – even though relatively few of them should end up in secure detention!

by Jim Moeser