The disproportionate use of remand detention (i.e. pre-trial detention) for vulnerable and marginalized youth is an issue of concern globally and demographic disparities in youth remand decision outcomes have been found in many jurisdictions, including England and the Netherlands. This article aims to explore and identify potential catalysts of disparity in the collective process of remand decision-making in youth courts. Drawing from Ulmer’s ‘inhabited institutions’ perspective, and the related ‘court community model’ and ‘focal concerns model’, and empirical findings from research in Dutch and English youth remand courts, this article suggests that several distinctive mechanisms and features of the youth remand decision-making process might function as catalysts of disparity. The findings indicate that the focus on ‘risk’ and ‘welfare needs’, the distinctive context defined by time constraints, limited information, shortages of readily available services, interdependency and interdisciplinary, and high stakes, combined with the profoundly human nature of courtroom workgroup decision-making, make the remand decision-making process in youth courts particularly prone to producing unwarranted disparities. Ultimately, informed by the theoretical perspectives and empirical findings, the article provides insights into how and why disparities might occur in youth remand decisions and offers suggestions for policy, practice and future research.

对弱势和边缘化青年不成比例地使用还押拘留（即审前拘留）是全球关注的一个问题，包括英格兰和荷兰在内的许多司法管辖区都发现了青年还押决定结果的人口差异。本文旨在探讨和确定青年法院还押判决集体过程中差异的潜在催化剂。本文从乌尔默的“居住机构”视角、相关的“法院社区模型”和“焦点问题模型”，以及荷兰和英国青少年还押法庭研究的实证结果，提出了青少年还押候审的几个独特机制和特征。决策过程可能是造成差异的催化剂。调查结果表明，关注“风险”和“福利需求”，由时间限制、信息有限、缺乏现成服务、相互依存和跨学科以及高风险所定义的独特背景，加上法庭工作组决策的深刻人性，使得青年法院的还押决策过程特别容易发生以产生无根据的差异。最终，根据理论观点和实证结果，本文深入探讨了青年还押决定中如何以及为何会出现差异，并为政策、实践和未来研究提供建议。使青年法庭的还押决策过程特别容易产生不必要的差异。最终，根据理论观点和实证结果，本文深入探讨了青年还押决定中如何以及为何会出现差异，并为政策、实践和未来研究提供建议。使青年法庭的还押决策过程特别容易产生不必要的差异。最终，根据理论观点和实证结果，本文深入探讨了青年还押决定中如何以及为何会出现差异，并为政策、实践和未来研究提供建议。