Advancing the Collection of Juvenile Justice Data

• NCJ Number: 255642
• Date Published: February 2021
• Author(s): Benjamin Adams
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Series: NIJ Journal

Annotation

This NIJ Journal article describes the history and methodology of the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) and the Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC), as well as longitudinal trends from each statistical collection.

Abstract

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is required to submit an annual report on juveniles in custody. Two statistical collections, the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) and the Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC), gather this information from residential placement facilities that hold juveniles who are charged with or adjudicated for law violations. This NIJ Journal article describes the history and methodology of the CJRP and JRFC, as well as longitudinal trends from each. The article also discusses how one of the surveys’ main strengths — their consistency over the decades — has created a need to adapt them for a changing juvenile corrections environment. NIJ and OJJDP are working closely with the U.S. Census Bureau to redesign the CJRP and JRFC to address information gaps and needs in the field.