The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

Chapter One
A Review of Phase One of the Study
Two separate but interrelated research studies were conducted over the last three
years to address the disproportionate overrepresentation of minorities in secure facilities.
The first study or Phase one focused on the examination of case files for the purpose of
assessing whether race/ethnicity may influence juvenile court processing and outcomes in
four counties in the state of Iowa.
Phase two was a follow up to that research with the specific intentions of
addressing the following question, “How do juvenile court personnel feel about phase
one of the study, the findings, and race bias, in general In this phase of the research,
delinquent youth were also asked for their input concerning discrimination and treatment
provided by the police and the juvenile court office. In this chapter, the sites, sampling
techniques, statistical procedures, and the results from Phase one of the study are
discussed. A more detailed presentation of the research is given in technical reports
entitled, “Juvenile Justice Decision Making in Iowa: An Analysis of the Influences of
Race on Case Processing in Three Counties” and “Juvenile Justice Decision Making in
Iowa: An Analysis of the Influence of Race on Case Processing in Scott County”,
authored by Michael J. Leiber and prepared for The Office of Criminal and Juvenile
Justice Planning.
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