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The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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...I don’t know if they’ve ever had a m<strong>in</strong>ority person apply...<br />

157<br />

I th<strong>in</strong>k there are a lot <strong>of</strong> people out <strong>in</strong> the community that are work<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

help kids. I th<strong>in</strong>k there’s a lot more than what people th<strong>in</strong>k. I th<strong>in</strong>k there<br />

are programs specifically for m<strong>in</strong>ority children...<br />

Well, aga<strong>in</strong>, this is from my own observations, but the child that I see<br />

come <strong>in</strong> from the system and I ask them about their religious and spiritual<br />

background, and the ones that are repeat <strong>of</strong>fenders and the ones that are<br />

really a problem are the ones that have no religion. . . I th<strong>in</strong>k that is<br />

reflect<strong>in</strong>g upon their behavior and <strong>of</strong> the problems that they are gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong>to. <strong>The</strong>ir spiritual growth. What I see and I th<strong>in</strong>k you can relate is, what I<br />

see is a black youth who just excels <strong>in</strong> sports, excels <strong>in</strong> music, but socially<br />

he’s a misfit. Or he goes out and steals. That tells you someth<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

someth<strong>in</strong>g is not right. That <strong>in</strong>volvement process isn’t even. A child that<br />

should be excell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> all areas and he’s only excell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> one particular<br />

area. I th<strong>in</strong>k we need more spiritual or religious guidance. Whether it be <strong>in</strong><br />

the home or wherever, the child has to be exposed to it someplace.<br />

Q. So, moral development<br />

A. Moral development. Yeah, there’s got to be more moral development.<br />

Q. Do you th<strong>in</strong>k if there was, say, an Indian or a Black JCO or <strong>in</strong>take<br />

person, do you th<strong>in</strong>k that would make a difference to the children who<br />

come <strong>in</strong><br />

A. I guess I see our <strong>of</strong>fice, <strong>in</strong> particular, as be<strong>in</strong>g very nonprejudicial and<br />

very... I don’t see them discrim<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g at all. We have the kids that come<br />

<strong>in</strong> and we have to work with them and we do it. And sometimes I’m<br />

amazed that, if we’re talk<strong>in</strong>g about a particular kid, we may not recognize<br />

whatever his race is. I see people <strong>in</strong> that <strong>of</strong>fice not pick<strong>in</strong>g up on that<br />

necessarily. You can name a kid and someone else would say, is he Indian<br />

or Asian or whatever. And that <strong>in</strong>take <strong>of</strong>ficer would have to stop and th<strong>in</strong>k<br />

about it for a m<strong>in</strong>ute. That’s not someth<strong>in</strong>g that had been thought about <strong>in</strong><br />

mak<strong>in</strong>g their decision.<br />

Q. What about the kids reactions

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