The North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has launched a new digital tool aimed at tracking juvenile justice trends. The data dashboard provides a five-year snapshot of trends across the state, along with detailed insights into all 100 counties, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
In an effort to focus on juvenile delinquency and develop strategies to address it, DJJDP's Deputy Secretary William Lassiter discussed the potential utility of the new dashboard. "This new dashboard will be a valuable tool for anyone interested in addressing the issue of juvenile delinquency," he said, noting its role in facilitating data-driven discussions among state and county governments, law enforcement, the judiciary, and juvenile service providers. However, the statement from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety does not provide specific details on which types of data are most concerning or promising, nor does it address the potential impact of these statistics on future juvenile justice practices.
The dashboard is updated quarterly and tracks six key juvenile justice system metrics: juvenile complaints, instances of juveniles diverted from court, court-ordered supervision frequencies, juvenile detention center admissions, youth development center commitments, and data on juveniles transferred to superior court. The aim is to monitor the process from the initial complaint to potential incarceration, providing an overview of the progression of youth through the justice system.
Additional resources from the DJJDP, such as their annual report and county-specific databooks, are available on their website, along with an analysis of the effectiveness of teen courts. The analysis, part of a joint project with Montreat College and North Carolina's Office of State Budget and Management, suggests that teen courts may help reduce repeat offenses among youth. The findings are published in the division's Teen Court Evaluation Brief, providing information on the impact of these programs.
