Youthful Offender Status in New York: What the Data Shows

According to 214,542 DCJS pretrial release records from 2019–2024, Assault cases across 59 New York counties have an average dismissal rate of 74.2% and an average conviction rate of 25.4%.

Disclaimer: This page provides statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. This is not legal advice. Laws and penalties change — consult a licensed New York attorney and the New York Penal Law for current legal information. Past court outcomes do not predict future results.

Youthful Offender (YO) adjudication is a significant feature of New York's criminal justice system, providing an alternative to criminal conviction for eligible young defendants. This guide examines what DCJS pretrial release data (2019-2024) reveals about how YO cases are handled across the state.

What Is YO Adjudication?

Under New York's Criminal Procedure Law, eligible defendants may receive a youthful offender adjudication instead of a criminal conviction. This generally results in the case being sealed. The court has discretion in granting YO status, and our data shows this discretion is exercised differently across the state's 62 counties.

What Our Data Shows

Analysis of DCJS records suggests notable patterns in how YO-eligible cases are handled:

YO adjudication rates vary meaningfully by county
Charge type appears to influence the likelihood of YO treatment
Pretrial release decisions for young defendants show different patterns than for older defendants

View assault statistics or petit larceny statistics across counties for examples of charges commonly involving young defendants.

County-Level Variation

Our data reveals that where a young person's case is heard may significantly influence the outcome. Some counties show higher rates of YO adjudication for similar charges, which may reflect differences in local practices, available youth programs, and judicial approaches.

Understanding the Limitations

Because YO adjudications result in sealed records, our data may not fully capture all YO outcomes. The statistics reflect what is available in DCJS pretrial release records. Actual YO adjudication rates may differ from what appears in publicly available data.

Next Steps

For information about YO eligibility and procedures, consult a licensed New York attorney. The New York Unified Court System website provides general information about court processes for young defendants.

Frequently Asked Questions

YO adjudication allows eligible defendants aged 16-18 (or in some cases 19) to have their case sealed and replaced with a youthful offender finding rather than a criminal conviction. Our DCJS data captures cases where YO status was granted across New York counties.

Our data shows that YO adjudication rates vary by county and charge type. Some counties grant YO status at higher rates than others for similar offenses. See our charge-specific pages for details.

Generally, a YO adjudication results in the case being sealed. For specific information about how YO status affects records, consult a licensed New York attorney or visit nycourts.gov.