What does this measure?

A juvenile delinquent is a child 7 to 16 years old who has committed an act that, if committed by an adult, would constitute a crime. County probation departments are the point of entry for a juvenile delinquency case, and each case brought to probation by police or another source is called an "intake." This indicator measures the number of intakes per 10,000 children ages 7-16.

Why is this important?

Individuals who commit crimes in their youth are more likely to commit other offenses later in life.

How is the region performing?

In 2019, there were 43 juvenile delinquency intakes in the region per 10,000 juvenile residents, substantially below the state rate (excluding New York City) of 55. The rate in 2019 was an increase from the previous year, but 59% lower than in 2000.

Putnam had the lowest rate in 2019, at 24, followed by Columbia, at 38, and Dutchess, at 40. Sullivan had the highest rate, at 77 per 10,000 juvenile residents. Dutchess and Orange drove much of the overall regional increase. Greene's juvenile delinquency rate, though on a steady decrease from 2017-2019, was the only one to decrease since 2018, by 21%.

Notes about the data

These data do not reflect the ultimate disposition of the case, as not all intakes turn into juvenile delinquency cases; some are diverted into programs and never reach court. The data should not be interpreted as the number of juveniles entering the system, as the same child may have multiple intakes. Also, changes in reporting systems over the decade may affect the overall accuracy of the figures. Raise the Age legislation went into effect October 1, 2018, and changed how cases for youth age 16 at time of crime are processed. Beginning October 1, 2019, these changes also applied to youth age 17 at time of crime. Those charged with misdemeanors are processed as juvenile delinquents (JDs), and those charged with felonies are arraigned in the Youth Part of Superior Court. JD volumes for the years 2015-2017 include only 7 - 15 year olds. Counts for 2018 include a small number of 16 year olds, and the counts for 2019 include 16 year olds and a small number of 17 year olds. Because of the addition of these age groups, case processing counts increased in 2019, particularly for probation intakes and petition filings. Comparable national data were not available. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the third quarter.