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Relative Rate Indices1 of Juvenile Arrest for Delinquency Offenses

Year Minority Black AIAN* AHPI**

1990 1.7 2.0 1.0 0.4
1991 1.7 2.1 1.0 0.5
1992 1.8 2.2 1.0 0.5
1993 1.9 2.2 1.1 0.5
1994 1.8 2.2 1.1 0.5
1995 1.8 2.2 1.1 0.5
1996 1.6 2.0 1.1 0.5
1997 1.6 1.9 1.1 0.4
1998 1.5 1.9 1.0 0.4
1999 1.5 1.8 1.0 0.4
2000 1.5 1.8 1.0 0.4
2001 1.5 1.9 0.9 0.4
2002 1.5 1.8 1.0 0.4
2003 1.5 1.9 1.0 0.4
2004 1.5 1.9 1.0 0.3
2005 1.7 2.1 1.1 0.3
2006 1.6 2.0 1.0 0.3
2007 1.7 2.1 1.0 0.3
2008 1.7 2.1 1.0 0.3
2009 1.8 2.2 1.0 0.3

1 All RRI's are relative to whites.
* AIAN: American Indian or Alaskan Native.
** AHPI: Asian, Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.
Summary

The minority RRI for the arrest decision in delinquency offense cases increased between 1990 and 1993 and then fell, reaching a low point in 2000 and remaining essentially constant through 2004, before increasing through 2009. As a result, the RRI in 2009 returned to the levels of the early 1990s. The overall pattern indicates a small decline between the mid-1990s and 2009 in the degree of racial disparity at this decision point. The delinquency arrest rates for white youth and minority youth both increased from 1990 through 1994 and then declined. The relative decline in the minority arrest rate was greater than in the white arrest rate, resulting in an overall drop in the RRI during this period. This overall minority pattern generally reflects that of black juveniles. The RRIs for AIAN juveniles show there to be little, if any, racial disparity for them at arrest compared with white juveniles; while the RRIs for AHPI juveniles indicate they were far less likely to be arrested than were white juveniles.