Juvenile | Research and Statistics

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The Research and Statistics Unit of the Dallas County Juvenile Department (DCJD) falls under the authority of the Deputy Director of Executive and Administrative Services.

The mission of the Research and Statistics Unit is to support the mission of the Dallas County Juvenile Department through effective and efficient data management, reporting, and analysis of all operations affecting youth outcomes. To this end, the DCJD Research and Statistics Unit is responsible for all data reporting and quantitative analysis including the production of a research agenda, program evaluation, data reporting, and fulfilling approved external research requests. Beginning in 2021, the Unit will also produce and publish an annual report which will summarize the Department’s operations. The Research and Statistics Unit does NOT process public information requests.

The Research and Statistics Unit will report and publish relevant, aggregate data within the pages of this site during timely intervals which will typically elaborate on Annual Report statistics. The Unit will generally use graphics of various kinds, including figures, graphs, and tables to disseminate the information and said graphics should be appropriately referenced, credited, and cited if they are reproduced, adapted, and/or used for any purpose.

Professors and researchers who have or wish to make a research proposal for primary or secondary research should go here.

All questions regarding the information herein, or in reference to any of the relevant webpages can be directed to dcjd_research@dallascounty.org. Please include the specific information to which you are inquiring, your name and organization, and reason for your inquiry.

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL DATA ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THIS SITE.

Statistics & Data

The Dallas County Juvenile Department believes that data driven decision making improves outcomes for justice involved youth. A skilled research team monitors, analyzes, and reports information regarding juvenile referrals and activity in Dallas County.

Additionally, the Dallas County Juvenile Department posts information annually regarding:

Juvenile decline rates in US
Juvenile arrests have been on the decline for more than two decades.

National Center for Juvenile Justice: Juvenile Arrests 2019

Arrest estimates for 1980–2019 developed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and disseminated through "Arrest Data Analysis Tool." Arrest estimates for 2015 through 2019 developed by the National Center for Juvenile Justice based on data published in the FBI's Crime in the United States reports.

Click here for additional information.
Decline in Crime Rates in US
Today, murder rates in these areas are barely a third of what they were in the early 1990s—the starkest reflections of a nationwide decline in crime.

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Selected Findings from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program
Formal juvenile referrals for previous calendar years
This data captures delinquent conduct that causes a youth to be referred to the Dallas County Juvenile Department.

Click here to download 5-year Formal Referrals.
Certified youth in Dallas County for the previous 10 calendar years
This data reflects the juveniles that were certified to stand trial as adults for the year. In order to be certified as an adult, a child must have been accused of a Felony 1 offense at age 14 or above or accused of a Felony 2 offense at age 15 or above.

Click here to download the report.
Dallas County youth commitments to Texas Juvenile Justice Department
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) is the state juvenile correction agency. Juveniles that are committed to TJJD by court may have committed serious felony offenses that warrant removal from home and require specialized treatment, or have a chronic delinquent referral history and have been adjudicated for a felony offense that have exhausted resources available at the county’s juvenile department. In 2007, the number of new commitments to TJJD was reduced by limiting the commitments to only juveniles adjudicated for felony offenses after reform measures were placed.

Click here to download the report.

External Research Request

Researchers not affiliated with Dallas County are invited to submit their requests through this site. Researchers, including professors, must have a clearly stated proposal including the corresponding research question(s), hypotheses, methodology, and statements addressing the benefits to the population to be studied. This Department requires the strict adherence to the Dallas County Juvenile Department (DCJD) policy that is the authority over such requests, as well as the procedures as presented herein.

DCJD External Research Request Policy

DCJD External Research Request Application

The file that will be downloaded by clicking the following link is a form-fill pdf file. Once downloaded, open the file and read the application carefully. Use your mouse or trackpad to navigate to the red highlighted boxes or form-fill fields and select or complete as necessary. Rename the completed file using the following convention: 2022_errapp_lastname.pdf. Complete the External Research Application in its entirety and submit the completed form in accordance with the policy and procedures for External Research Requests documented herein.