Search

In October 2018, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) administered the 10th Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC). JRFC began in 2000 with data collections occurring every other year. JRFC routinely collects data on how facilities operate and the services they provide. It includes questions on facility ownership and operation, security, capacity and crowding, and injuries and deaths in custody. The census also collects supplementary information each year on specific services, such as mental and physical health, substance abuse, and education. Nationally, 37,529 juvenile offenders were held in 1,510 residential placement facilities on October 24, 2018. Facilities that hold juvenile offenders vary in their operation, type, size, security features, screening practices, and services provided. To better understand the characteristics of these facilities, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) sponsors the Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC), a biennial survey of public and private juvenile residential facilities in every state. Findings in this bulletin are based on JRFC data collected for 2018. [For the 2016 report, see ED600317.]

Nationally, 45,567 juvenile offenders were held in 1,772 residential placement facilities on October 26, 2016. Facilities that hold juvenile offenders vary in their operation, type, size, confinement features, screening practices, and services provided. To better understand the characteristics of these facilities, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention sponsors the Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC), a biennial survey of public and private juvenile residential facilities in every state. This biennial census collects data on how juvenile facilities operate and the services they provide. The census also provides information on facility ownership, security, capacity and crowding, and injuries and deaths of youth in custody. Data from the 2016 census indicate that the number of youth in residential placement continues to decline, a trend that has lasted nearly two decades. In 2016, more youth were held in county, city, or municipally operated facilities on the census date than were held in state-operated facilities. Facility crowding affected a relatively small proportion of youth in custody. Most responding facilities routinely evaluated all youth for suicide risk, education needs, substance abuse, and mental health needs. [For "Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2014: Selected Findings. Juvenile Justice Statistics: National Report Series Bulletin. NCJ 250123," see ED590913.]

Every 2 years, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention conducts the Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) to collect information about the characteristics of facilities, including facility type, capacity, and type of security, in which youth charged with or adjudicated for law violations are held. Respondents also provide information on the types of evaluations and services they provide to youth entrusted to their care. This bulletin provides findings from the 2014 survey. The population of justice system-involved youth dropped 11% from 2012 to 2014, to the lowest number since 1975. More of these youth were in local facilities on the census day in 2014 than were in state-operated facilities, continuing a trend that began with the 2012 census. The 2014 JRFC data also describe the range of services that facilities provide to youth in their care. Almost all facilities (87%) reported that a portion of all residents attended some type of school. Most responding facilities routinely evaluated all residents for substance abuse (74%), mental health needs (58%), and suicide risk (90%). This bulletin helps the juvenile justice field to track conditions of confinement and the progress that states and communities are making to ensure that system-involved youth receive the treatment and services that they need.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's biennial Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC) collects information about facilities in which juvenile offenders are held. Respondents provide information about facility characteristics, including facility type, capacity, and type of security. JRFC also reports the number of youth who were injured or died in custody during the past 12 months. This bulletin provides findings from the 2012 survey. The juvenile offender population dropped 14% from 2010 to 2012, to the lowest number since 1975. For the first time since 2000, more offenders were in local facilities on the census day in 2012 than were in state-operated facilities. The 2012 JRFC data also describe security features that facilities use. Overall, 43% of facilities lock youth in their sleeping rooms at least some of the time.