The state Justice Department has been compiling figures on juvenile crime since 2002. In that time, youth crime has increased in the misdemeanor and felony category by 3 percent, but has decreased by 3 percent when it comes to lesser crimes like curfew violations. Robin Schwanke with the Department says in 2005, most young people were arrested for crimes like vandalism, shoplifting and drunk driving:
There were a little over 225 thousand juveniles arrested, and of those juveniles arrested, nearly two-thirds were arrested for a misdemeanor offense.
About 26 percent of juveniles were arrested for felony offenses like homicide, rape and robbery. What happens to these young offenders? California has the highest rate of juvenile imprisonment in the nation.