The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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the possible affiliation with gangs or an unwillingness to cooperate. One decision maker
believed intake officers may have certain criteria that may result in different outcomes for
certain youth.
Explanations for the finding that both blacks and Native American Indians were
less likely than whites to be petitioned focused on the referral of youth on the basis of
legal insufficiency. One individual believed this occurrence could be the result of intake’s
concern with gang activity which is not necessarily shared by the prosecutor’s office.
Suggestions for addressing the issue of the disproportionate overrepresentation of
minorities in secure facilities ranged from a view that the issue is not a concern of the
court to the need for the recruitment of minority staff. Most of the staff, however,
believed they interacted well with all youth, irrespective of their race/ethnicity. Thus,
most of these individuals argued that the hiring of minority staff would result in little, if
no change in their relations with youth. Rather than hire minority staff, some suggested
that there was a greater need on the part of the minorities themselves to adapt to our
culture and establish programs of their own. A small number of the decision makers
indicated a need for alternative programming, such as family support and sessions on
cultural sensitivity. These people also saw a need for the recruitment of minority staff.