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. 2021 Dec 23;4(12):e2140352. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.40352

Table 1. Characteristics and Cause of Death Among Youths Previously Incarcerated in the Juvenile Legal System, 2010 to 2017, With Death Data Through 2019.

Characteristic Youth, No. (%)
Total (N = 3645) All cause (n = 113) Homicide (n = 65) Suicide (n = 9) Overdose (n = 15) Other (n = 24)a
Sex
Female 247 (6.8) 6 (5.3) 3 (4.6) 0 2 (13.3) 1 (4.2)
Male 3398 (93.2) 107 (94.7) 62 (95.4) 9 (100.0) 13 (86.7) 23 (95.8)
Race and ethnicity
Black 2155 (59.1) 80 (70.8) 61 (93.8) 2 (22.2) 4 (26.7) 13 (54.2
White 1307 (35.9) 29 (25.7) 3 (4.6) 7 (77.8) 11 (73.3) 8 (33.3)
Otherb 183 (5.0) 4 (3.5) 1 (1.5) 0 0 3 (12.5)
Age at death or study end, y
15-21 1149 (31.5) 69 (61.1) 42 (64.6) 5 (55.6) 6 (40.0) 16 (66.7)
25-29 2496 (68.5) 44 (38.9) 23 (35.4) 4 (44.4) 9 (60.0) 8 (33.3)
Age at release, y
11-17 1750 (48.0) 52 (46.0) 32 (49.2) 4 (44.4) 8 (53.3) 8 (33.3)
18-21 1895 (52.0) 61 (54.0) 33 (50.8) 5 (55.6) 7 (46.7) 16 (66.7)
Offense type
Person 2225 (61.0) 59 (52.2) 33 (50.8) 6 (66.7) 6 (40.0) 14 (58.3)
Property 919 (25.2) 33 (29.2) 18 (27.7) 2 (22.2) 8 (53.3) 5 (20.8)
Otherc 501 (13.7) 21 (18.6) 14 (21.5) 1 (11.1) 1 (6.7) 5 (20.8)
Length of incarceration, y
≤1 2145 (58.8) 71 (62.8) 39 (60.0) 6 (66.7) 13 (86.7) 13 (54.2)
>1 1500 (41.2) 42 (37.2) 26 (40.0) 3 (33.3) 2 (13.3) 11 (45.8)
Repeat offender
No 3040 (83.4) 96 (85.0) 56 (86.2) 7 (77.8) 10 (66.7) 23 (95.8)
Yes 605 (16.6) 17 (15.0) 9 (13.8) 2 (22.2) 5 (33.3) 1 (4.2)
a

Other cause of death includes natural causes (11 youth); accident (7 youth); and other or unknown (6 youth).

b

Other race and ethnicity includes Asian/Pacific Islander (7 youth); Hispanic (78 youth); multiracial (52 youth); American Indian or Alaska Native (8 youth); and other or unknown (38 youth).

c

Other offense type includes drug-related (139 youth); public-order crimes (322 youth); and other or unknown (40 youth).