RACE AND DECISION-MAKING WITHIN JUVENILE JUSTICE - THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT

Previous tests of the influence of race on decision making within juve nile justice proceedings have traditionally focused on case-level vari ables and/or macrolevel factors that characterize the jurisdictions un der study. Often excluded are measures of the attitudinal context with in which decision making occurs. Using a revised conflict perspective that incorporates the role of racial stereotyping, hypotheses are deve loped centering on racial differences in case processing decisions wit hin four midwest jurisdictions. Attitudes of juvenile court officials toward the punitiveness of the juvenile court and perceptions regardin g differences between the behavior and attitudes of whites and those o f African Americans are included in additive and race interactive mode ls of five decision-making stages. Results indicate both lenient and h arsh treatment of African Americans compared to whites. Hypotheses reg arding racial stereotyping in the decisionmaking process receive some support and the discussion focuses on how inconsistent racial effects may be a function of variation in structural ''coupling'' across syste m decision points.