This study examined the extent to which race and age individually and jointly determined juvenile justice case outcomes at intake and judicial disposition among males in one county juvenile court in the state of Iowa. Using an interpretation of the symbolic threat thesis and the emphasis on stereotyping as the theoretical framework, we discovered…

In recent years, the growing number of minority youth disproportionately confined in secure detention facilities has led to a search for a better understanding of this occurrence. Explanations vary but tend to center on either differential offending or selection bias. The present study examines the extent both may explain decision making by…

This guide is intended to advance high school students' understanding of the Iowa court system and the democratic principles on which it is based. The guide focuses on the Iowa district courts. Although 80% of law takes place in district courts, few national texts cover the district courts due to differences in district courts from state to state.…