U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

J. Robert Flores, Administrator September 2003 #06

delinquent voluntarily agree to abide by certain probation conditions, often with the understanding that if they successfully complete their probationary period, their case will be terminated

without any formal processing. 

In 1999, adjudicated delinquents ordered to probation (398,200

cases) accounted for more than half (59%) of all delinquency cases

placed on probation. In the remaining delinquency cases (41%), the

youth agreed to some form of voluntary, or informal, probation. The

number of adjudicated cases that resulted in court-ordered probation rose 80% from 1990 through 1999. In comparison, the number

of cases that resulted in informal probation increased 12%, reflecting the trend toward more formal processing of delinquency cases.

The demographic profile of probation cases changed

little since 1990

In 1999, 69% of cases placed on probation involved white juveniles, 28% involved black juveniles, and 3% involved juveniles

of other races.1 Between 1990 and 1999, the probation caseload

grew 38% for black juveniles (from 135,200 to 186,600) and 47%

for white juveniles (from 320,500 to 470,400). Most cases (76%)

placed on probation in 1999 involved males (about 514,600 cases).

However, the female share of the probation caseload has grown in

the last decade—from 19% in 1990 to 24% in 1999. Juveniles who

Juvenile Delinquency Probation

Caseload, 1990–1999

by Charles M. Puzzanchera

Four of every ten delinquency cases resulted in

probation in 1999

Courts with juvenile jurisdiction handled nearly 1.7 million delinquency cases in 1999. Probation supervision was the most severe

disposition in 40% (677,000) of all delinquency cases. The number of cases placed on probation grew 44% between 1990 and

1999. During that time, the overall delinquency caseload increased

27%. These findings are based on national data on delinquency

cases processed by juvenile courts from 1990 through 1999. The

national estimates were generated using information contributed

to the National Juvenile Court Data Archive. The analysis is based

on data from nearly 2,000 jurisdictions containing 70% of the U.S.

juvenile population (youth age 10 through the upper age of original juvenile court jurisdiction in each state). 

Probation can be court ordered or voluntary

Some youth are ordered to probation after being adjudicated delinquent (analogous to being convicted in criminal court). In contrast

to court-ordered probation, some youth who are not adjudicated

Probation was the most likely disposition for cases in

which the juvenile was adjudicated delinquent

Most severe disposition 1990 1995 1999

Total 100% 100% 100%

Probation 56 54 62

Residential placement 32 27 24

Other sanction 9 13 10

Released without additional sanction 3 6 4

Detail may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Probation cases accounted for 60% of the increase in delinquency

cases that received a juvenile court sanction (those that were not

dismissed or otherwise released).

Probation was ordered in 58% of the more than 1 million

cases that received a juvenile court sanction in 1999

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Number of cases

Waived to criminal court

Residential placement

Probation

Other sanctions

1 Juveniles of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race, but most are included in the

white racial category.
were 14 to 16 years old accounted for 62% (about 421,700 cases)

of the probation caseload in 1999. 

Property offense cases made up the greatest

proportion of the probation caseload

The offense profile of the probation caseload has changed somewhat since 1990. Property offense cases continued to account for

the majority of cases placed on probation, but their share of the

probation caseload declined. For example, the proportion of adjudicated cases that involved property offenses and received formal

probation as the most severe disposition declined 18 percentage

points between 1990 and 1999 (from 59% to 41%). As a result,

the profile of the formal probation caseload contained greater

proportions of person, drug, and public order offense cases in

1999 than in 1990. 

For further information

This Fact Sheet is based on the forthcoming Report Juvenile

Court Statistics 1999, which will be available on the Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s)

Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp). To learn more about

juvenile court cases, visit OJJDP’s Statistical Briefing Book

(ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/index.html) and click on “Juveniles

in Court.” OJJDP also supports Easy Access to Juvenile Court

Statistics, a Web-based application that analyzes the data files

used for the Juvenile Court Statistics Report. This application

is available from the Statistical Briefing Book.

Charles M. Puzzanchera is a Research Assistant with the National

Juvenile Court Data Archive, which is supported by an OJJDP grant.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component

of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice

Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice,

and the Office for Victims of Crime.

Fact Sheet FS–200306

Offense profile of cases in which the juvenile was

adjudicated delinquent and placed on probation

Most serious offense 1990 1995 1999

Total 100% 100% 100%

Person 18 22 23

Property 59 49 41

Drugs 7 11 12

Public order 16 18 23

Detail may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Across offenses, the likelihood of probation for cases in

which the youth was adjudicated delinquent increased

since 1995

Most serious offense 1990 1995 1999

Total 56% 54% 62%

Person 55 54 63

Property 58 56 64

Drugs 54 54 63

Public order 52 50 60