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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:57 pm
Time: 10:57 pm
Results for minority offenders
4 results foundAuthor: Nored, Lisa S. Title: Disproportionate Minority Contact in Mississippi Summary: In recent years, disparities among racial minorities at various stages in the criminal justice system have garnered increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. Much, if not most, of the existing research has been focused primarily on highly publicized issues, such as racial profiling and increased sentences for offenses commonly associated with minorities (i.e. selling crack cocaine). Recently, attention has shifted toward examining these issues as they pertain to juvenile offenders. This shift is indeed appropriate, in that the majority of crime-related research has shown that juvenile delinquency is a substantial predictor of adult criminal behavior. Historically, research regarding race and delinquent juvenile populations was focused on detention and confinement or offense categories (i.e. status offenses versus criminal offenses). As efforts to study juvenile offenders progressed, it was evident that there was a need to focus research efforts on instances of disproportionate confinement among members of racial minorities. Initial research concerning minority juveniles was triggered by the 1988 reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, which required states to collect data and annually report the number of incarcerated juveniles using disproportionate representation indexes (DRIs), which compared incarcerated minority juvenile offenders to their respective at-risk populations. This index was used to assess whether minority juveniles were overrepresented in the context of secure detention (including training schools) – in short, this index assessed instances of disproportionate minority confinement (the “old” DMC). Revisions to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act in 2002 included provisions that increased the scope of investigation regarding disproportionate minority representation in the juvenile justice system as well as strengthened statistical methods for detecting disparities among individual racial and ethnic categories. Currently, DMC estimates are focused on youths age 10-17 and limited to those offenders who committed delinquent acts rather than status offenses. Revisions to the JJDP Act also mandated investigation regarding instances of contact rather than confinement – focusing on key individual points within the juvenile justice system. As a result, rates of contact can be compared at each stage of the juvenile justice process, from arrest to adjudication. Comparisons are made using the relative rate index (RRI), which compares proportionate instances of occurrences between Caucasian and minority juveniles, based on the size of their respective at-risk populations. Hence, instances of disproportionate minority contact (the “new” DMC) can be assessed at each individual stage of the juvenile justice process. Typically, the most difficult part of any research project is to synthesize results of various analyses and formulate conclusions based on limited information. For this project, however, data collection was the most difficult task. Although there were several methodological issues which likely affected the accuracy of RRI estimates, several conclusions can be confidently made regarding DMC in Mississippi: • Disproportionate representation does not equate to discrimination. It is important to understand that disproportionate minority contact is not directly indicative of prejudice or racism. The purpose of examining instances of DMC is to evaluate each stage of the juvenile justice process and determine if any patterns of DMC exist, and if so, investigate why. • Data collection strategies were vulnerable to repeat offenders. Due to the manner in which agencies maintained official records, one juvenile arrested six times over the period of one year would appear as six separate contacts for that year. Currently, there is no way to account for offenders with multiple appearances in the juvenile justice system. • There are stages that warrant further investigation. Arrest, referral, and secure confinement are points of contact which exhibited relatively high RRI estimates in the observed counties, specifically those for African-American youths. • RRI estimates were lower than expected. Although each county exhibited elevated RRI estimates, no consistent pattern of disparate treatment emerged so as to indicate abusive practices within any agency. • The phrase “statistically significant” is not translated as “meaningful difference.” RRI estimates are based on the chi-square distribution. For a number of reasons, most of which are beyond the scope of this report, accepting an RRI estimate based on statistical significance alone is not wise. In this case, sample size (total number of juvenile contacts per year) can affect statistical significance just as easily as disproportionate representation of a minority group at a point of contact. Put simply, RRI estimates should be used to gauge trends and should not be treated as hard evidence of discrimination. • Both law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies are not practicing consistent data collection strategies. Few agencies utilized a database software package beyond that which came with their computer. One agency had a MYCIDS workstation, but had yet to receive training – and therefore could not use it. Other agencies simply did not have the technological resources to submit the data as requested, and resorted to manual calculations using hard-copy records. Details: Hattiesburg, MS: Mississippi Statistical Analysis Center, 2008(?). 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 11, 2011 at: http://www.usm.edu/cj/MSSAC/2007%20DMC%20Report%20(Final%2011-25-08).pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.usm.edu/cj/MSSAC/2007%20DMC%20Report%20(Final%2011-25-08).pdf Shelf Number: 118744 Keywords: Juvenile OffendersMinorities (Mississippi)Minority Offenders |
Author: Leiber, Michael J. Title: Race/Ethnicity, Juvenile Court Processing and Case Outcomes: Fluctuation or Stability? Summary: Sampson and Laub's (1993) perspective contends that community characteristics, especially underclass poverty and racial inequality, influence the social control of youth in juvenile justice proceedings. Structural factors are believed to enhance class and race stereotypes of the poor and Blacks as either criminals or drug offenders, but can also be characterized as sexual, aggressive, etc. In turn, these actual and/or perceived threats to middle class values result in the poor and Blacks being subjected to greater social control in communities evidencing impoverishment and racial inequality. An interpretation of the perspective is that the social control of youth, and especially minority youth, will fluctuate over time due to associations with and changes in the economic and racial/ethnic inequality of communities. The main objective of the present study was to use Sampson and Laub's structural theory of inequality to examine whether characteristics of communities explain the social control of youth in general but also focuses on potential racial/ethnic and drug offending disparities across White, Black, and Hispanic youth within juvenile justice proceedings. In anticipation of these possible relationships, an assessment was done to see to what extent these relationships vary or remain relatively stable over time, and if they are race and/or ethnic specific with drug offending. Data was provided by the National Juvenile Court Archive (NJCA) and represented county-level aggregated information for sixteen states involving 172 counties for over thirty years (1985, 1995, 2005, and 2009). Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was used to predict the proportion of referrals petitioned, detained, received out-of-home placement, and change models to understand how changes in the independent variables over time influenced changes in the dependent variables over time. A second data set, also provided by NJCA, was used that represented individual-level data of all delinquent referrals in 67 counties in a Northeast state from January 2000 through December 2010. Legal variables (e.g. crime severity, prior record), extralegal considerations (e.g. gender, age), and decision-making at intake, adjudication, and judicial disposition were captured. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) was used to analyze the data for the purpose of simultaneously estimating the amount of variation of both the individual (level-1) and county (level-2) measures at three processing junctures. In addition to the estimation of main and interaction effects, cross-level interactions were also estimated to examine how youth from different racial/ethnic backgrounds are treated in the juvenile court depending on county of residence. In short, minimal to modest support was found for Sampson and Laub's (1993) perspective. Macro-level variables were at times found to be determinants of social control at each of the four time frames and to a somewhat greater extent in explaining case outcomes in the 67counties in a Northeast state. However, the effects were sporadic and not always in the predicted direction. In fact, underclass poverty and racial/ethnic inequality most often were not statistically significant determinants of social control. Limited evidence was also found for anticipated relationships between community characteristics and disadvantaged treatment of minorities and drug offenders. When community characteristics significantly impacted the treatment of Blacks, Hispanics, and/or drug offenders and decision-making, the effects at times resulted in leniency rather than greater social control. An examination of the results across thirty years showed, with a few exceptions, stability in the relationships rather than fluctuation or change. At the individual-level, Black drug offenders were subjected to greater social control at intake than other offenders. Hispanics and Hispanic drug offenders were also found to have a greater odds of being adjudicated compared to similarly situated Whites. At judicial disposition, Blacks and Hispanics had a greater likelihood of receiving the more severe outcome of out-home-placement compared to Whites. These effects were enhanced if a minority youth was charged with a drug offense. In addition, drug offenders and in particular, Black drug offenders and Hispanic drug offenders, were responded to differently throughout court proceedings than other types of offenders. The findings reported here indicate that underclass poverty and racial/ethnic inequality alone (or if at all) do not seem to account for these occurrences. Details: Final report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2014. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 30, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/246229.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/246229.pdf Shelf Number: 132571 Keywords: Drug OffendersJuvenile Case ProcessingJuvenile CourtsJuvenile OffendersMinority OffendersPovertySocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeYouthful Offenders |
Author: Mullen, Jess Title: The Young Review: Improving outcomes for young black and/or Muslim men in the Criminal in the Criminal Justice System. Summary: The disproportionately high numbers of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) offenders and the poor outcomes they face in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) have been drawn to the attention of successive governments, voluntary and public sector agencies for decades. The situation has frequently been the subject of independent scrutiny and attempted institutional reform. Yet despite this, poor results persist; arguably, we have now reached a critical point. The figures should be of great concern to all those with an interest in crime prevention and reduction and the rehabilitation of offenders. For example: - There is greater disproportionality in the number of black people in prisons in the UK than in the United States. - 13.1% of prisoners self identify as black, compared with approximately 2.9% of the over 18 population recorded in the 2011 Census. - Similarly Muslim prisoners account for 13.4% of the prison population compared with 4.2 % in the 2011 Census. - This figure has risen sharply since 2002 when Muslim prisoners were 7.7% of the prison population. Starting its work in October 2013, one of the main aims of the Young Review has been to consider how existing knowledge regarding the disproportionately negative outcomes experienced by black and Muslim male offenders may be applied in the significantly changed environment introduced under the Transforming Rehabilitation (TR) reforms. We convened a Task Group comprising ex-offenders and representatives from the voluntary, statutory, private and academic sectors to advise and help shape the Young Review. We set up discussion groups with service users, in prison and community settings, along with organisations that provide services to them. We also met with a range of representatives from statutory agencies and independent providers in the CJS. Our findings and recommendations are based on these discussions and meetings, and an examination of the available literature and data relating to young black and/or Muslim offenders. In focusing on this particular demographic, we are immediately presented with the challenge of current methodologies employed in collecting and analysing information. Most existing data and research focuses on all people of BAME origin and of all ages and/or faiths. Where data is disaggregated, broad categories such as 'mixed origin' or Muslim are used, when neither group is culturally or ethnically homogeneous. In addition, not all criminal justice agencies use the same categories for ethnic origin data. BAME representation in the prison population is heavily influenced by age with many more young BAME male prisoners than older ones. In addition in the youth estate BAME disproportionality is even starker with 43% of 15-17 year olds coming from such backgrounds; this is a concerning sign for the potential future make up of the adult prison population. Whatever the shortcomings of the data, there is ample evidence demonstrating the high proportions of young black and/or Muslim men at all stages of the CJS compared to all other groups reporting the least positive perceptions of prison life8 and referring to the negative impact of being perceived through racialised stereotypes. The poorer outcomes we highlight for these young men exist within a wider context of over representation for this group at the earlier stages of the CJS and a pattern of multiple disadvantage in other areas of social policy. Details: London: Barrow Cadbury Trust, 2014. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 28, 2015 at: http://www.clinks.org/sites/default/files/basic/files-downloads/clinks_young-review_report_final-web_0.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.clinks.org/sites/default/files/basic/files-downloads/clinks_young-review_report_final-web_0.pdf Shelf Number: 134481 Keywords: Male Offenders (U.K.)Minority OffendersMuslim PrisonersRacial DisparitiesRacial MinoritiesYoung Offenders |
Author: Keown, Leslie-Anne Title: Ethnocultural Offenders: An Initial Investigation of Social History Variables at Intake Summary: Little research specific to federally-sentenced ethnocultural offenders exists and, of what does exist, none has focused on offenders' social history. Social history - which refers to experiences of the individual, family, or community, and can also include intergenerational impacts of earlier experiences - has been recognized as important in judicial and correctional decision-making and offender management. The current study aimed to begin to explore the issue of social history among ethnocultural offenders by leveraging readily-available data on life experiences and pre-incarceration background collected as part of the offender intake process. Data were available for 725 ethnocultural offenders in eight areas: criminal history, community functioning, education and employment, attitudes, associates, substance use, marital and family, and personal/emotional. Of the ethnocultural offenders, about half were Black and the remainder were categorized as East / South East Asian, Arab / West Asian, Hispanic / Latin, South Asian, and "other". In order to contextualize findings specific to ethnocultural offenders, results were also provided for 2,643 White and 945 Aboriginal offenders. Results were also presented by ethnocultural subgroup. In situating findings, it is important to note that there was as much variability within the ethnocultural population as across groups. That said, differences did emerge between the groups. In particular, ethnocultural offenders had less extensive prior criminal histories and were much less likely to be identified as having problematic substance use patterns than White and Aboriginal offenders. Taken together with results from previous research that ethnocultural offenders tend to be assessed as presenting lower levels of risk and criminogenic need, these results suggest that ethnocultural offenders may have less established criminality than their White and Aboriginal counterparts. Results also suggested that the areas where ethnocultural offenders might most benefit from intervention may differ from those most pertinent for White and Aboriginal offenders. For instance, the rate of suspected gang affiliation among ethnocultural offenders was about twice that of White offenders while, as mentioned, rates of problematic substance were much lower among ethnocultural offenders. Overall, the present study was among only a handful to-date to examine ethnocultural federally-sentenced offenders, and was perhaps the first to comprehensively examine previous life experiences and pre-incarceration background. As such, it contributes importantly to our understanding of this population and to our understanding of the possible role of social history factors in ethnocultural offenders' criminal offending. In addition to simply increasing knowledge, the study may also act as a spring-board in eliciting discussions and information sharing regarding both individual offenders' life experiences and possible reasons for the differences between ethnocultural, White, and Aboriginal offenders. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2015. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: 2015 No. R-362: Accessed November 17, 2017 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/scc-csc/PS83-3-362-eng.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/scc-csc/PS83-3-362-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 148212 Keywords: Aboriginal OffendersEthnic MinoritiesLife HistoriesMinority OffendersOffender ManagementOffender Supervision |