Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:36 pm
Time: 10:36 pm
Results for minority youth
15 results foundAuthor: Public Health Management Corporation Title: An Assessment of the Needs of Latino Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System Summary: This report summarizes the findings from an 18-month assessment of the needs of Latino youth ages 10-20 involved with the juvenile justice system and their parents in seven Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Berks, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lehigh, Philadelphia, and York. A relatively high percentage of Latino youth in these counties are in contact with the juvenile justice system. This needs assessment was conducted by the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee (DMC). PHMC was assisted by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) in identifying model programs and best practices in juvenile justice. The goal of this needs assessment is to identify the specific needs of Latino youth in the Pennsylvania juvenile justice system in the seven counties, including:  Educational, employment, and housing needs;  Need for ESL classes;  Need for Spanish language translators and interpreters;  Need for bilingual/bicultural staff in social service organizations, juvenile justice agencies and schools;  Availability of orientation and other materials in Spanish;  Existence of culturally competent alternatives to detention; and  Special needs of immigrants, undocumented individuals, and youth who are, or who are alleged to be, gang members. This information will be used by the DMC to develop and implement strategies to address existing needs. Details: Philadelphia, PA: Public Health Management Corporation, 2009. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2011 at: www.portal.state.pa.us Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 122309 Keywords: Hispanic AmericansJuvenile Offenders (Pennsylvania)Minority YouthRehabilitation, Juvenile OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: Arya, Neelum Title: A Tangled Web of Justice: American Indian and Alaska Native Youth in Federal, State and Tribal Justice Systems Summary: This report presents an examination of how Native American youth are disproportionately affected by transfer laws. Key findings include that many Native American youth commit low-level offenses and receive either no court intervention or disproportionately severe sanctions. Also examines the interaction of the tribal justice system with the state and federal justice systems and how that impacts youth transfer. Details: Washington, DC: Campaign for Youth Justice, 2009. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief, Race and Ethnicity Series Vol. 1: Accessed October 4, 2011 at: http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/documents/CFYJPB_TangledJustice.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/documents/CFYJPB_TangledJustice.pdf Shelf Number: 114889 Keywords: American IndiansIndigenous YouthJuvenile Court TransferMinority YouthWaiver (of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction) |
Author: Arya, Neelum Title: America’s Invisible Children: Latino Youth and the Failure of Justice Summary: This report focuses on Latino youth in the justice system. In addition to providing the latest facts about Latino youth in the U.S. justice system, the report highlights promising solutions and policy recommendations to reduce the disparities. Details: Washington, DC: Campaign for Youth Justice, 2009. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief, Race and Ethnicity Series Vol. 3: Accessed October 4, 2011 at: http://cfyj.org/documents/CFYJPB_InvisibleChildren.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://cfyj.org/documents/CFYJPB_InvisibleChildren.pdf Shelf Number: 114889 Keywords: Discrimination in Juvenile Justice AdministrationJuvenile Justice System (U.S.)Juvenile OffendersLatinosMinority Youth |
Author: New Mexico Sentencing Commission Title: State of New Mexico Disproportionate Minority Contact Statewide Assessment: Preliminary Report Summary: The disproportionate minority contact (DMC) mandate of the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) requires states to institute multi-pronged intervention strategies including juvenile delinquency prevention efforts and system improvements to assure equal treatment of all youth. Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) is defined as an overrepresentation of minority youth at any stage within the juvenile justice system (Huizinga et al., 2007). The nine stages within the juvenile justice system where contact occurs are: arrest; referral; diversion; case petitioned; secure detention; delinquency finding; probation; confinement in secure correctional facility; and case transferred, certified, and waived to adult court (OJJDP, 2009A). The purpose of this assessment is to begin to determine the mechanisms contributing to DMC in New Mexico. This assessment is based primarily on juvenile justice system data provided by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) Data Analysis/FACTS Bureau. Other sources of information used in this report include: relative rate index trends, the review of reports compiled by other states, a review of other literature, a review of the New Mexico juvenile justice system, and formal and informal discussions with CYFD staff. We also briefly describe other aspects of our research that includes a review of juvenile justice system prevention and intervention programs that provide additional context to the NM juvenile justice system. Details: Albuquerque: New Mexico Sentencing Commission, 2012. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2012 at: nmsc.unm.edu/nmsc_reports/ Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 125652 Keywords: Juvenile Justice Systems (New Mexico)Juvenile OffendersMinority GroupsMinority OverrepresentationMinority YouthRacial Disparities |
Author: Dwayze, Dana Title: On The Level: Disproportionate Minority Contact in Minnesota’s Juvenile Justice System Summary: Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) describes a national phenomenon whereby youth from communities of color have contact with the juvenile justice system at rates different from those of white youth. Over a decade of DMC data collection at the national level support that youth of color are often overrepresented at stages of the justice system focused on accountability and sanctions while underrepresented at stages intended to curtail deeper system involvement or provide community-based services. Minnesota shares in this problem with rates of disparity for youth of color in the justice system which are both higher than national levels and more severe in magnitude than those of many comparable states. An assumption made, often erroneously, is that racial disparities exist because youth of color commit more crime than white youth. While data suggest white youth and youth of color may have different rates of offending for some crimes, the levels of disparity observed are too great to be explained by differences in youth offending patterns alone. Furthermore, once youth of color are in the system, research reveals they receive harsher consequences than white youth with similar offenses and criminal histories. A host of factors potentially contribute to disparate rates of justice system contact for youth of color. These include the inequitable distribution of resources in communities, bias within the policies and practices of juvenile justice agencies, and underlying social conditions of communities, particularly poverty. DMC results from a complex interplay of these factors, rather than a single cause. Therefore, each unique state and jurisdiction must investigate which factors most contribute to disparate outcomes for youth of color and engineer an appropriate local response to reduce racial disparities. Juvenile justice is not the only system in Minnesota in which there are inequities for youth of color. Health and income data show youth of color are more likely to live in poverty, less likely to have health insurance, and are more likely to have serious health problems in adulthood than white youth. Youth of color are overrepresented in the child welfare system, are more likely than white youth to be reported as abused or neglected, and are more likely to be placed in out-of-home care. Furthermore, racial disparities are present in the education system where youth of color have higher rates of school discipline resulting in suspension and expulsion and lower graduation rates than white youth. Each youth serving system must work internally and in collaboration with communities and other youth serving systems to effectively reduce disparate outcomes for youth. Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, Statistical Analysis Center, 2012. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 2, 2012 at: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/On%20The%20Level_FINAL.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/On%20The%20Level_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 126830 Keywords: DiscriminationDisproportionate Minority ContactJuvenile Justice System (Minnesota)Minority YouthRacial Disparities |
Author: Wan, Wai-Yin Title: The Impact of the NSW Young Offenders Act (1997) on Likelihood of Custodial Order Summary: The aim of this study was to determine whether the introduction of the Young Offenders Act had any impact on (a) the probability that a young offender will receive a custodial order 1; and (b) the time taken to receive a first custodial order. These two custodial outcomes were compared for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people. The rates of a custodial order prior to and following the introduction of the Young Offenders Act were compared using a frailty model with Gompertz distribution. The times taken to receive the first custodial order prior to, and following the introduction of the Young Offenders Act were compared using the asymptotic failure rate of ever receiving a custodial order. The results show that while Indigenous young people are more likely to receive a custodial order as a juvenile (hazard ratio of 1.4) compared to non-Indigenous young people, the risk of receiving a custodial order fell for both groups after the introduction of the YOA (hazard ratio of 0.63). The results show that, after the introduction of the YOA, the risks of receiving a custodial order for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people dropped by 17.5 per cent and 16.3 per cent respectively. For Indigenous young people, 10 per cent of the pre-YOA cohort received a custodial order within 17 months of first proven court appearance, whereas after the YOA commenced this took 21 months. For the non-Indigenous young people, 10 per cent of the pre-YOA cohort received a custodial order within 36 months whereas after the YOA commenced this took 57 months. The results suggest the YOA has been effective in diverting young people from custody (including Indigenous young people). The likelihood of ever ending up in custody reduced and the time taken to receive a custodial order after the first proven court appearance lengthened for both indigenous and non-indigenous young people after the introduction of the YOA. Details: Brisbane: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2013. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, No. 166: Accessed February 21, 2013 at: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/cjb166.pdf/$file/cjb166.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/cjb166.pdf/$file/cjb166.pdf Shelf Number: 127682 Keywords: Disparities in Juvenile JusticeIndigenous JuvenilesJuvenile DetentionJuvenile OffendersMinority YouthYoung Offenders Act (Australia)Youth Justice Conferencing |
Author: James-Garner, Angelica Title: School House Adjustment Program Enterprise (SHAPE): 2011-12 Outcome and Evaluation Study Summary: In August 2011, SHAPE was recognized by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) as a national DMC Reduction Best Practice (OJJDP, 2011). Being recognized as an evidence-based best practice after only a few years in existence is rare. The SHAPE model is now being considered statewide in Tennessee, and there is significant interest in adopting the program in other states as well. Program officials have participated in national conferences with the, the Coalition on Juvenile Justice, and recently, they have proposed a paper to the OJJDP National Leadership Summit on School-Justice Partnerships sponsored by the New York State Permanent Judicial Division on Justice for Children. Additionally, the SHAPE model was featured in a chapter in a book on DMC current issues and policies (Parsons-Pollard, 2011). All of this work has been made possible because the SHAPE administrator made an early commitment to evaluation and measurement of outcomes. This investment allowed the program to self-correct as issues became apparent and contributed to overall model integrity and credibility. While the effects of SHAPE have been demonstrated here, many other programs have also had a hand in reducing the juvenile detention population. Perhaps the most important accomplishment of SHAPE has been to affect the culture of detention in this community. The partnership with the Memphis Police Department has been especially gratifying, and SHAPE awareness is now a component of the annual in-service training. MCS administrators are taking advantage of intermediate interventions and diversions like SHAPE more readily, with Juvenile Court, and especially the administrators of the Detention Facility, questioning every single transport. This cultural shift has been a complex process and SHAPE has been an important part. Details: Memphis, TN: Shelby County Schools, Department of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Student Information, 2012. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2014 at http://www.scsk12.org/uf/shape/files/final%20shape%202011%202012.pdf?mylink=35 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.scsk12.org/uf/shape/files/final%20shape%202011%202012.pdf?mylink=35 Shelf Number: 132405 Keywords: Diversion, Juvenile Offenders Minority Youth |
Author: My Brother's Keeper Task Force Title: My Brother's Keeper Task Force Report to the President Summary: For decades, opportunity has lagged behind for boys and young men of color. But across the country, communities are adopting innovative approaches, opening doors, strengthening supports, and building ladders of opportunity for young people, including boys and young men of color, to help put them on the path to success. President Obama wants to build on that success. That's why, on February 27, 2014, the President took action, joining with philanthropy and the private sector to launch an initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people who are willing to do the hard work to get ahead can reach their full potential - using proven tools and focusing on key moments in their lives where we can help make a difference. Over the last three months, we have had conversations with thousands of individuals and groups who care about this set of issues and share a common belief that, working together, we can help empower boys and young men of color and all youth with the tools they need to succeed. Today, the Task Force is providing a 90-day report on progress and an initial set of recommendations. This is a first step. In the coming months and years, the Task Force will build on the framework and initial recommendations offered here, and will work together with others to help ensure that all youth in America are on the path to success. Details: Washington, DC: The White House, 2014. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/053014_mbk_report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/053014_mbk_report.pdf Shelf Number: 132595 Keywords: African AmericansDelinquency PreventionDisadvantaged YouthMinority Youth |
Author: Davis, Antoinette Title: Using Bills and Budgets to Further Reduce Youth Incarceration Summary: States across the country have seen huge reductions in the number of youth incarcerated in detention halls, camps, and state secure facilities. One major reason for the reductions is successful legislation developed by advocates and legislators on both sides of the aisle. The five most successful components of this legislation include provisions that: • Move supervision responsibilities for some youth from the states to county agencies; • Include fiscal incentives to pay for these shifts in responsibilities; • Exclude categories of crimes such as status offenses, misdemeanors, and non-violent felonies from eligibility for incarceration in state facilities; • Require use of the best practices identified by research; and • Encourage stakeholders to place youth in the least-restrictive settings by naming it as a goal in reform legislation. Despite the overall reduction of incarcerated youth, much higher percentages of youth of color remain under formal supervision and in state secure facilities. This suggests that even the most successful states need to employ new strategies. Systems need to continue to reduce out-of-home placements in order to strengthen the links between youth and their families. They also need to identify the most effective supervision strategies. Legislation helps this agenda by guaranteeing the flow of funding to fiscally sustainable, culturally relevant community-based organizations with promising research-based practices. Details: San Francisco: National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2014. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://nccdglobal.org/sites/default/files/publication_pdf/bills-and-budgets.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://nccdglobal.org/sites/default/files/publication_pdf/bills-and-budgets.pdf Shelf Number: 132608 Keywords: African AmericansJuvenile DetentionJuvenile Justice ReformJuvenile Offender SupervisionJuvenile OffendersMinority Youth |
Author: Feldman, Elizabeth Title: Evidence-Based Practices with Latino Youth: A Literature Review Summary: Recent research has led to considerable advancement in the treatment of mental health difficulties common in childhood and adolescence (Kazdin, 2000; Kazdin & Weisz, 2003). Evidence-based practices now exist for many pediatric mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, conduct problems, substance abuse, and PTSD. However, the effectiveness of these practices with specific sub-populations, such as Latinos and Latino immigrants in particular, remains unclear. While some scholars recommend that evidence based treatments be delivered as designed (e.g. Huey & Polo, 2008), others argue that successful generalization to specific ethnic groups is dependent upon thoughtful and informed efforts to modify treatments so that they are culturally appropriate (e.g., Chen, Kakkad, & Balzano, 2008). Because Latinos make up such a large segment of the U.S. population, and also because Latino immigrant youth are at high risk for mental health related difficulties (National Alliance for Hispanic Health, 2001; Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, 2001), it is crucial that investigation about how to respond effectively to the mental health needs of Latino children and adolescents be a part of the current research agenda. This review will outline some of the most pressing mental health concerns for Latino immigrants and highlight what is currently known about how best to respond to these concerns. Details: Seattle: University of Washington School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2014 at: http://www.modelsforchange.net/publications/477 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.modelsforchange.net/publications/477 Shelf Number: 132708 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Delinquency Prevention Evidence-Based Practices Hispanics Latinos Mental Health Services Minority Youth |
Author: Rogowski, Jon C. Title: The Policing of Black Communities and Young People of Color Summary: Eighteen-year-old Michael Brown's murder by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri has focused the nation's attention on racial disparities in the law enforcement system. Brown's case is not an isolated incident. Along with Brown, the cases of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis in Florida and, more recently, Eric Garner in New York and Ezell Ford in Los Angeles, all tell stories of how unarmed Black men became victims of police forces charged with serving and protecting their communities and are then denied justice by the legal system. Since Michael Brown's death, the media have focused on racial tensions among residents of Ferguson. It is important, however, to note that the tension between police forces and Black communities is nothing new, nor is it confined to Ferguson, Missouri. Instead, the Michael Brown tragedy and those like it are indicators of systemic injustices that have resulted in long-standing tensions between law enforcement and the Black community. In this report, we use data from several national public opinion surveys to show that Black communities - especially Black youth under 30 years of age - across the country hold considerably more negative views toward the legal system and the police compared with other groups and they have done so for many years. This is not a new phenomenon. Our main findings are as follows: - Black youth report the highest rate of harassment by the police (54.4%), nearly twice the rates of other young people. - Less than half of Black youth (44.2 percent) trust the police, compared with 71.5 percent of white youth, 59.6 percent of Latino youth, and 76.1 percent of Asian American youth. - Substantially fewer Black youth believe the police in their neighborhood are there to protect them (66.1 percent) compared to young people from other racial and ethnic groups. - Fewer Black youth believe the legal system treats all youth equally (26.8 percent) than young people in other racial and ethnic groups. - Fewer Black youth feel that they are full and equal citizens under the law (60.2 percent) compared with white (70.9 percent) and Latino (64.1 percent) youth. Details: Chicago: Black Youth Project, University of Chicago, Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture, 2014. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.blackyouthproject.com/files/2014/08/ferguson.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.blackyouthproject.com/files/2014/08/ferguson.pdf Shelf Number: 135729 Keywords: Ethnic MinoritiesMinority YouthPolice-Community RelationsRacial Disparities |
Author: Tam, Christina Title: Behind the Model Minority: An Examination of Ethnicity, Place, and Arrests among Asian Youth in Los Angeles Neighborhoods Summary: Background and Aims. Asian ethnic groups are accompanied by diverging migration histories, cultural values, and lived experiences, and these factors play a role in their children's juvenile justice involvement. While immigrant groups initially settled in ethnic enclaves, they will relocate to ethnoburbs as they achieve higher socioeconomic status. Ethnic enclaves may protect ethnic minority youth against delinquency, but it is currently unknown if residing in an ethnoburb is related to offense type. First, this study determined whether these two ethnic neighborhoods can be differentiated for five Asian ethnic groups. Guided by the spatial assimilation model, I then explored the relationship between ethnicity, ethnic neighborhood, and offense type. Methods. This study employed secondary data analysis of administrative data from the Los Angeles Probation Department and the American Community Survey collected by the United States Census Bureau. Primary individual interviews confirmed the locations of ethnic neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. The sample consisted of 980 youth nested within 183 zip codes. Multinomial regression models assessed key relationships; a multilevel approach was used for investigating neighborhood-level effects. Results. Ethnic enclaves and ethnoburbs were classified with a categorical tree using percent ethnicity, percent poverty, and population density, and key informants confirmed these neighborhoods for their respective ethnicities. Koreans have the highest probability of being arrested for a violent crime, Chinese for weapons, Southeast Asian for property, and Japanese for substance and other types of offenses. Compared to living in non-ethnic neighborhoods, living in an ethnoburb was associated with higher risks of being arrested for weapons and substance offenses relative to violence. Finally, youth who live in ethnoburbs that match their ethnicity are at higher risk for being arrested for a weapons offense. Conclusions. That there are ethnic differences in offense type speak to the cultural underpinnings that are associated with each group within the Asian racial category, thus challenging the model minority stereotype that Asians are free of social problems. Because living in an ethnoburb was related to offense type, and especially for youth whose ethnicity matches that of the neighborhood, future research should explore the mechanisms that may explain this association. Details: Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles, 2016. 177p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 26, 2016 at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8ss3n7x6 Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8ss3n7x6 Shelf Number: 146017 Keywords: AsiansEthnic GroupsEthnicity and CrimeJuvenile OffendersMinority YouthNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Simpson, Tiffany Title: Do Objective Measures Reduce the Disproportionate Rates of Minority Youth Placed in Detention: Validation of a Risk Assessment Instrument? Summary: The over-representation of youth of color in the juvenile justice system, often referred to as disproportionate minority contact (DMC) can be found at many stages of the juvenile justice continuum. Further, research has shown that over-representation is not necessarily related to higher rates of criminal activity and suggests that case processing disparities can contribute to DMC. Risk assessment instruments (RAI) are objective techniques used to make decisions about youth in the juvenile justice system. This study examined the effects of implementing an RAI designed to make detention decisions, in a predominantly rural parish in Louisiana. Police officers from three law enforcement agencies investigated 202 cases during the evaluation period. The measures included an objective detention risk screening instrument, a contact form which contained juvenile demographic information, a two-item questionnaire assessing law enforcement's impression of the youth's need for detention placement and risk to public safety, and an arrest coding sheet which assessed subsequent police contacts and arrests among youth over 3 and 6 months of street time (i.e., time outside of secure confinement). Results revealed that overall law enforcement was unwilling to consistently complete the tool and continued to use subjective decision making, with completion rates ranging from 61% to 97% across the participating agencies. Also, subjective decision making by law enforcement actually helped minority youth as law enforcement consistently disregarded formal overrides included in the RAI, resulting in fewer minority youth being detained than were indicated by the RAI. Further, implementation of the tool, as constructed, resulted in small but insignificant reductions in the rates of overall confinement and rates of minority confinement when compared to the rates of confinement during the same time period of the previous year. Additionally, the RAI did not significantly predict future police contact due to items that did not predict recidivism in this sample. Use of a three-item version resulted in a significant increase in the tool's predictive ability. This study demonstrates the importance of additional validity testing following the implementation of detention risk assessment instruments to ensure that these tools reduce unnecessary confinement while protecting public safety. Details: New Orleans: University of New Orleans, 2010. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed January 26, 2017 at: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2098&context=td Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2098&context=td Shelf Number: 145436 Keywords: Juvenile DetentionJuvenile OffendersMinority YouthRacial DisparitiesRisk Assessment |
Author: Haight, Konrad Title: An Examination of Ethnic Disparities in Arizona's Juvenile Justice System: Final Technical Report Summary: Research on disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system has generally concluded that Black youth are subject to disparate treatment such that they typically are more likely than White youth to face more formal and more punitive treatment at the various decision points in the juvenile court process. Research on disparate treatment for Latino youth in the juvenile justice system has been relatively rare, and the results of those studies have provided inconsistent evidence on the nature of disparities between Latino and White youth. This study sought to address such gaps in the research with a comprehensive assessment of juvenile justice case processing for a two-year period in the state of Arizona. Using a data set particularly well-suited for this examination, we believe the results of this study contribute meaningfully to the literature on ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. Using data from the state of Arizona that included 75,316 referrals to the juvenile justice system over the two-year period from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014, we applied five research questions to data on eight distinct decision points. We controlled for key legal factors such as the referral offense, the number of prior referrals, and whether the youth was involved in dependency court in addition to juvenile court. The level of detail in the data allowed us to investigate whether disparity varied depending on the type of referral offense and the county in which the youth was referred. Does disparity affecting Latino youth exist statewide in Arizona? If we look at rates of referral to juvenile court, we find that White youth are actually more likely to be referred to juvenile court than Latino youth. This is in contrast to the patterns of referral rates for Black and Native American youth-both groups are more likely than White youth to be referred to juvenile court, with Black youth referred more than twice as often as White youth. Once they are referred to juvenile court, however, there are a number of ways that Latino youth experience their processing in the juvenile justice system disproportionately more punitive than White youth. Latino youth are underrepresented in diversions from formal court processing, and overrepresented in direct filings to adult court, in pre-adjudicatory secure detention, in petitions filed for formal juvenile court processing, and in commitments to correctional facilities at disposition. Does observed disparity affecting Latino youth remain when we control for other factors that might impact juvenile justice decision making? Based on multivariate analyses that controlled for the influence of age, gender, number of priors, most serious current offense, and dependency status, we find that the disparities identified above remain even after taking into account these other factors. Across the state, if they were referred to juvenile court, Latino youth were less likely than White youth to receive an opportunity to avoid formal court processing and more likely to experience more punitive treatment at the various decision points. Does disparity affecting Latino youth vary by county? We did find a pattern of results that was generally consistent across the different counties. This pattern is that Latino youth are less likely than White youth to be referred to juvenile court and to be diverted from formal court processing, but more likely to be securely detained prior to adjudication, have a petition filed for formal court processing, and be committed to a correctional facility after disposition. We did find some counties where this pattern was not detected, and those were the counties in which the Latino youth were the largest racial/ethnic group in the general population. Does disparity affecting Latino youth vary based on the type of offense for which the youth was referred? By considering each decision point broken down by the type of offense, we find there are complexities to the patterns of disparities for Latino youth in juvenile courts in Arizona. For example, Latino youth are overall less likely to be referred to juvenile court than White youth, except in the case of violent felonies, status offenses, and violations, for which we find Latino youth to be more likely than White youth to be referred to court. Also, Latino youth are overrepresented in secure detention placements, except when the offense was a violation or a violent misdemeanor. In addition, the biggest disparities for Latino youth with regard to the filing of petitions for formal court processing are in the case of property misdemeanors and for drug felonies. Finally, while we find that Latino youth are more likely to be committed to correctional placements after disposition, the disparities are greatest for violent misdemeanors and felonies and for drug felonies. Does disparity affecting Latino youth differ depending on whether the county of referral is participating in JDAI? We find that at several of the decision points, the disparities between Latino and White youth in the JDAI counties are smaller than what we find in the non-JDAI counties, particularly at the decision points of direct file, diversion, petition, and probation. There are other decision points where the differences between JDAI and non-JDAI counties are rather small, namely secure detention and adjudication. Placement in correctional facilities is one decision point where Latino youth in the JDAI counties fare worse than in non-JDAI counties. Key findings from this study include: - Latino youth are not overrepresented in referrals to juvenile court, but they do experience disparate treatment once they are in the system. - Latino youth are more likely than White youth to experience the most severe and restrictive punishments that the juvenile justice system has to offer. This includes direct filings in adult court, placement in pre-adjudicatory secure detention, and placement in confinement following disposition. - When it comes to severe and restrictive punishments, Black youth experience greater levels of disparity than Latino youth. - In most cases, legal factors that we controlled for do not account for the observed disparities. - Patterns of disparity are consistent across counties for Black youth, but this is not true of Latino youth, where disparity appears to vary with the proportion of the population that are Latino. - Disparity varies depending on the type of offense and this is consistent across racial and ethnic groups. The data used for this study are particularly well-suited for examining the extent to which Latino youth experience disparate treatment in the juvenile justice system. As such, the results can help guide future research and help policy makers in their efforts to address ethnic disparities. Implications for policy and practice include: - Ongoing assessment of disparity should move beyond a statewide only approach, focusing on areas with the greatest levels of disparity to ensure more efficient use of resources while generating greater reductions in disparity. - In counties where one race/ethnicity experiences greater disparity than other, it may make sense to work with those communities to determine the root of the problem. Where disparity is experienced across race/ethnicity groups, it may make more sense to look at official policies and procedures that might contribute to disparity across the board. - Future studies should augment their focus on county-level relative rates of risk with a county-level understanding of the juvenile justice system. Policies and practices at the county level can impact disparity and are vital to not only understanding why disparity exists, but also how to address it. - Future studies should incorporate a more complete understanding of previous offense histories, risk assessment scores, and include data collected over a longer period of time. - Whenever possible, it is important to consider ways that responses to particular offenses may introduce disparities in processing of youth through the court progression. Details: Indianapolis, IN: American Institutes for Research, 2016. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250803.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250803.pdf Shelf Number: 146384 Keywords: Disproportionate Minority ContactJuvenile CourtJuvenile Justice SystemsLatino YouthMinority YouthRacial BiasRacial Disparities |
Author: Lecoanet, Robin Title: Disproportionate Minority Contact in Wisconsin's Juvenile Justice System Summary: In agreement with WI DOJ, we conducted a mixed method evaluation of DMC reduction efforts that included an analysis of prevention activities, interventions and system change. The evaluation followed the guidelines in the Disproportionate Minority Contact Technical Assistance Manual (4th Ed.) - Chapter 5: Evaluation. The overarching evaluation questions we focused on were: - What are the rates of DMC in the focus counties? - Have the rates of DMC changed from 2006 to 2012? - Do certain programmatic elements appear to be related to increased success in reducing DMC? - Are there common themes that emerge across communities to address DMC? The evaluation included calculating relative rate indices (RRI), which allows for a comparison of the rates of contact for minority populations to non-minority populations across the stages of the juvenile justice system. While there are nine points of contact that are measurable, WI DOJ requires localities to only report arrest and combined pre- and post-adjudication secure detention data to the State. With an emphasis on 2006 through 2012, we reviewed statewide arrest and Juvenile Secure Detention Registry (JSDR) data from WI DOJ. We also reviewed federal population, arrest and secure detention data from OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In addition, we conducted qualitative interviews with 25 key informants in counties, focusing on DMC reduction efforts through system change or targeted interventions. Additional data were also gathered from focus counties on funding, training, youth involvement and outcomes, data collection and system improvements. While juvenile arrests across Wisconsin have declined from 2006- 2012, Wisconsin RRI data show that disparities for all minority groups exist and in some geographic areas have increased over the time period reviewed. Arrest rates have declined unevenly across racial groups, with greater declines for white youth than for minority youth. In 2006, black youth in Wisconsin were three times more likely than white youth to be arrested. This increased in 2012, with black youth nearly four times more likely to be arrested than white youth. Due to a lack of progress in reducing DMC for black youth in counties with high black youth populations, such as Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, and Rock, the arrest RRI for black youth in most of the focus counties and for the state as a whole increased. Similarly, disproportionate arrest rates for black and American Indian youth statewide continued to increase and remain above the national average for both violent and property crimes throughout the state and in focus counties. In 2012, black youth were 12 times more likely to be arrested for a violent crime than white youth. Details: Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin, Population Health Institute, 2014. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 7, 2017 at: https://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/other/uw-phi-dmc-final-evaluation-report-september-2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/other/uw-phi-dmc-final-evaluation-report-september-2014.pdf Shelf Number: 148065 Keywords: Disproportionate Minority Contact Juvenile Justice Systems Minority YouthRacial Disparities |