A publication of the Justice Center	Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center

See also:       > Alaska juvenile justice              Abstract: Most juvenile arrests, in both Alaska and the country as a whole, are made for property crimes rather than crimes against persons. Moreover, despite the common belief to the contrary, there has been no significant upward trend in juvenile arrests in Alaska. This article presents figures on juvenile arrests in Alaska over a ten-year period from 1987 to 1996, during which the rate of arrests of Alaska juvenile actually declined. A sidebar story discusses "Alaska Juveniles Waived into the Adult System."

     Most juvenile arrests, in both Alaska and the country as a whole, are made for property crimes rather than crimes against persons. Moreover, despite the common belief to the contrary, there has been no significant upward trend in juvenile arrests in Alaska. Between 1987 and 1996 the rate of arrests of Alaska juveniles actually declined. Substantially fewer juvenile arrests—5791—were made in 1996 than in 1987—7657 (Tables 1 and 2; Figure 1).

     The FBI assesses trends in the volume of crime by monitoring selected offenses: the Crime Index. The Index includes the violent crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, and the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. During the ten-year period, 1987-1996, the rate of juvenile arrests for Crime Index crimes declined overall in Alaska as did the state juvenile arrest rate for total crimes.
     However, the rate of juvenile arrests for violent crimes rose overall during the ten years, with a very sharp increase between 1992 and 1993. Since 1994, the juvenile violent crime arrest rate has declined somewhat but, in 1996 at 135.5 arrests per 100,000 population under 18, it was still over double what it was in 1986—67.4.
     Nevertheless, in 1996, the 259 juvenile arrests for violent crimes constituted only 17 per cent of all arrests for violent crimes in Alaska. Nationwide, juvenile arrests accounted for 18.7 per cent of violent crime arrests.
     Between 1987 and 1996, the Alaska juvenile arrest rate for Index property crimes declined overall. The 1986 rate of 1746.3 arrests per 100,000 was the highest rate reached. The lowest property crime arrest rate was 725.5 arrests per 100,000 in 1990. In 1996 this rate was 1211.4. In that year, juvenile arrests for Index property crimes accounted for 43.6 per cent of arrests in this category in Alaska. In the nation as a whole, juvenile arrests constituted 35.2 per cent of total property crime arrests.

     Under Alaska Statute 47.12.030, juveniles are automatically waived into the adult criminal justice system when arraigned for an unclassified or Class A felony which is a crime against a person (murder in the first or second degree; kidnaping; sexual assault in the first degree; sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree; manslaughter; assault in the first degree; robbery in the first degree) or the charge of arson in the first degree. (There are also lesser charges, such as for violations of traffic regulations or fish and game regulations for which a juvenile is processed in district court.) In addition to the statutory waiver of jurisdiction, judicial waiver—that is, by the judge hearing the petition on the juvenile—is permitted when the court finds probable cause that the juvenile is delinquent and not amenable to rehabilitation by treatment through the juvenile process before reaching the age of 20.
     DFYS data for FY 1993-1997 indicate that relatively few juveniles enter the adult system through judicial waiver. (The DFYS figures for FY 1993-96 are all judicial waivers. The FY 97 figures are primarily judicial waivers, but may also include a few automatic waivers under the statute, which went into effect that fiscal year.)
     1997 was the first full calendar year for which automatic waivers into the adult system were mandated. It is currently difficult to ascertain from the various state information management systems (including PROMIS, the computer system employed by the Department of Law) exactly how many juveniles have been waived into the adult system under this statute. However, Department of Corrections figures from early 1998 can provide some idea of how many juveniles are now being handled by the adult criminal justice system. DOC reported 18 inmates under age 18 on January 21, 1998 and 38 inmates aged 18 to 21 who were incarcerated before their 18th birthday. Among these 56 were a number awaiting trial or sentencing. (The total incarcerated population for January 21, 1998 was 4,242. DOC figures do not include juveniles who may be free on bail or supervised under adult probation.)