White middle-agers also show biggest increase in serious
(felony) arrests over last 25 years; youths (led by white
youth) show big decrease. Law changes do not explain 
these trends; if anything, youth have been policed more 
heavily than adults.  The result is that while a white youth 
had a felony arrest rate seven times higher than his/her 
parent in 1975, today the two have nearly equal felony 
arrest rates.  Youth and adults of color show similar 
trends.  These startling developments, though clear for
two decades, have gone completely unremarked on by
California crime authorities and the news media.

YOUTH
Average annual felony arrests per 100,000 age 10-17
Years		Total	White	Hisp	Black	Asian
1975-79		3312.5	2729.4	3376.9	8215.0	1300.0
1980-84		2683.7	2234.8	2449.8	7595.5	1102.7
1985-89		2533.8	1904.6	2347.8	8220.9	1524.8
1990-94		2815.5	1712.9	3279.3	8085.0	2096.7
1995-99		2157.5	1422.9	2432.3	5686.1	1659.6
2000-01		1561.9	1206.5	1509.8	4326.8	1105.9
Change		-53%	-56%	-55%	-47%	-15%

YOUNG ADULTS
Average annual felony arrests per 100,000 age 18-29
Years		Total	White	Hisp	Black	Asian
1975-79		3524.7	2414.1	4250.2	12343.3	1031.5
1980-84		3639.0	2508.1	4172.2	12784.5	1081.5
1985-89		4355.5	2960.7	4680.6	16002.8	1439.9
1990-94		4327.8	2971.7	4953.4	13430.1	1835.0
1995-99		3672.2	2737.8	4158.7	10461.3	1520.4
2000-01		3268.4	2679.0	3452.5	10665.4	1254.8
Change		-7%	+11%	-19%	-14%	+22%

PARENT- AND MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS
Average annual felony arrests per 100,000 age 30-69
Felony arrest	Total	White	Hisp	Black	Asian
1975-79		681.7	420.9	937.2	3427.5	273.0
1980-84		840.6	533.8	1123.6	4020.2	299.1
1985-89		1275.8	808.8	1592.8	6211.5	420.2
1990-94		1433.7	959.9	1733.4	6425.9	502.5
1995-99		1439.9	1103.5	1571.8	5664.0	499.7
2000-01		1291.2	1032.1	1411.5	4936.8	433.0
Change		+89%	+145%	+51%	+44%	+59%

Sources: Criminal Justice Statistics Center. Crime & 
Delinquency in California, 1975-99, California Department
of Justice (crime). Demographic Research Unit, 
California Department of Finance (population).