The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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237 The legislature covers such a broad range of people and the rural countries have very different needs than the urban areas and each legislator is most concerned about the area that they represent. So, it does present some problems. . .I think they have more of a concern about protecting the community than rehabilitation. I think we have always done a pretty good job of trying to weigh the best interests of the community against the best interests of the child but at times the community screams louder to be protected. Another group of juvenile court officers feel their role has changed from the one of a social work emphasis from the earlier years to one of legalities and punishment. When I started, the basic philosophy in juvenile court nation wide was parens patriae in regard to helping them and trying to assess and assist families as a wise parent would do. . . that system is disappearing from juvenile court work, and the juvenile justice system is moving more toward a junior criminal justice system with the accent on due process. Today we are more involved in trying to determine the legal ramifications and requirements. In the past we were more social workers. When juvenile court officers were asked about the factors that hinder their job, the lack of resources including such things as time, money, and the availability of placements were a recurring theme. High case loads and an insufficient number of case workers appears to have placed a strain on juvenile court officers causing stress, burnout, and even feelings of hopelessness. The lack of time to deal with youth due to the increased amount of paperwork was stressed by a number of the juvenile court officers.
238 There is extremely more paperwork and bureaucratic red tape, so to speak, that is required in order to process cases. As a juvenile court officer I spend much more time now doing paperwork and investigating whether the case meets the criteria of the code rather than actually spending the time with kids and their families. I think that the system is overwhelmed with the numbers anymore. We don’t have the time, just in the few years that I have been here I have seen a drastic change in the time JCOs can spend trying to make a difference. I don’t know if we have much of a chance at all when all we are doing now is shuffling papers around because we have so many cases. It used to be a requirement when I first came here, that you had to meet with your probation kids at least once a week and I think that it was important to keep weekly contact to remind them that somebody is checking up on them otherwise it is silly. Probation is kind of worthless, if we are going to do it, just like the adults do and have them send a card every three months, and I know they do that because there are just too many numbers, but that is crazy and it isn’t getting you anywhere. Lack of financial resources was also seen as a major downfall of the system. One officer says, I see resources as a big factor but at the same time I can appreciate and understand that we only have a certain size of pie to cut up and what I’m saying is that I don’t believe that the children and youth in this community are getting a big enough piece of that pie. I think that our legislators are choosing to divide up that pie differently. Overall, the issue mentioned most often when officers were asked about the deficiencies in the system was the extreme lack of placements available to juveniles, and especially for female youth. One juvenile court officer states, There just isn’t enough space out there. So, the only kids that really get detained are the ones that are so bad that they probably belong in adult court.
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The Disproportionate Overrepresenta
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The Disproportionate Overrepresenta
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Each of the following persons, in a
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Race Differences in Processing…
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Future Opportunities……………
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Crimes………………………
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LIST OF TABLES Title Page # Summary
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Frequency Distributions of Variable
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Definition of Variables Used to Rep
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Frequency Distributions of Variable
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Definitions of Variables Used to Re
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Research Sites 2 Due to the relativ
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was counted as only one referral. T
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6 result of an active policy which
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8 outcomes is as follows: adjudicat
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10 Analysis The analyses followed t
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12 Scott County: At the stage of pe
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14 Table 1. Summary of Research Des
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16 Table 1-continued. _____________
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18 Table 2--Continued. Black Hawk W
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Table 3.-continued. 20 Disposition
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Table 3.-continued. 22 Disposition
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24 objective of this approach was t
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26 negative light, represented by b
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28 Thus, the decision makers respon
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30 specific county is first present
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Table 1. Number of Self-Reports and
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34 in interacting with youth. The e
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36 end up being good and I learned
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38 he is on probation, he knows the
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40 . . . level of supervision and a
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42 For the young black man it is a
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44 (47 percent answered most of the
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46 the result of disproportionate i
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48 court whereas a person without t
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50 and deprivation financially and
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52 referred on to petition. The res
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Blacks/Dropout Placement 54 The sec
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56 of things doesn’t get arrested
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58 I think that traditionally Black
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60 while job and they are contribut
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62 be. If someone has done wrong an
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64 also varied. The two more promin
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66 Table 2. Definition of Variables
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Table 3--continued. 68 Variable Nam
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Table 5--continued. 72 Variable Nam
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Table 5--continued. Variable Name C
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76 Table 7. Frequency Distributions
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Table 10. Definition of Variable Re
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Table 11--continued. Variable Name
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84 Several black youth felt that wh
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86 Some individuals did believe tha
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88 In summary both races felt that
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90 A black male reasoned that black
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92 variation in the responses. A ma
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94 than white. Almost all of t blac
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96 for a probation violation.” A
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98 get to associate with kids and h
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100 “It’s too hard for me. I do
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102 married or nothing like that.
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104 Table 1. Definition of Variable
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Table 2--continued. White Black Var
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108 Table 4. Frequency Distribution
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110 Table 4--continued. White Black
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120 more diversified personnel to a
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122 I have problems with the facili
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124 adhere to, you know, to the cou
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126 laymen, lay people the authorit
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128 called an original gang member.
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opportunity, or do you wait for the
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132 ...there’s things that you di
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134 almost never/never). Thirty-fou
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136 I think that may be apart of it
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138 one-time meeting with this fami
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140 …no differences. I don’t th
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142 of our diversion programs as qu
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144 Q. As an excuse for why they co
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146 blacks were released while olde
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148 not be cooperative, it limits y
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150 Indian Youth of America is very
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Blacks, Native American Indians Les
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154 Overall, most of the decision m
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156 same schools in Sioux City. The
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158 A. Well, they’re living in Si
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160 A. Yeah, I think so. I think th
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162 ideological position is evident
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Table 1. Distributions of Decision
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Table 3--continued 168 Variable Nam
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Table 5-continued. 172 Variable Nam
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Table 8. Definition of Variables Re
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Table 10. Definition of Variables R
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Table 11-continued. 178 Variable Na
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Chapter Six Woodbury County Youth T
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182 Q: Do you feel racial discrimin
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improving. There was one twelve yea
Page 209 and 210: 186 Q: Do you feel racial discrimin
Page 211 and 212: 188 Q: Do you feel that a black per
Page 213 and 214: 190 In the interviews, half of the
Page 215 and 216: 192 Trust The question asked in thi
Page 217 and 218: 194 According to the Hispanic youth
Page 219 and 220: 196 he always yells at the black ki
Page 221 and 222: (58 percent of the whites, 55 perce
Page 223 and 224: 200 Q: Now, tell me why. A: Cause i
Page 225 and 226: 202 Q: You mean of physical harm or
Page 227 and 228: 204 have a lot of respect for the p
Page 229 and 230: Perceptions of Probation Officers 2
Page 231 and 232: 208 blacks (Tables 5, 6). Generally
Page 233 and 234: 210 Black youth He’s nice. He tal
Page 235 and 236: 212 The first black youth believed
Page 237 and 238: 214 because the teacher would not l
Page 239 and 240: 216 and go to the principal’s off
Page 241 and 242: 218 The youth have taken into consi
Page 243 and 244: 220 Table 1. Definition of Variable
Page 245 and 246: Table 2-continued. White Black Vari
Page 247 and 248: 224 Table 4. Frequency Distribution
Page 249 and 250: 226 Table 4-continued White Black V
Page 253 and 254: 230 Table 6-continued. White Black
Page 257 and 258: 234 Table 8--continued. White Black
Page 259: 236 Perceived Role of the Court and
Page 263 and 264: As in the responses to the closed e
Page 265 and 266: 242 getting the support from the pa
Page 267 and 268: 244 They seem to want to turn the k
Page 269 and 270: 246 crime. There are some officers,
Page 271 and 272: Police 248 In response to the close
Page 273 and 274: 250 tend to be drawn to gang activi
Page 275 and 276: 252 Blacks and Detention The first
Page 277 and 278: 254 The problem is availability. Th
Page 279 and 280: 256 the percentages. I don’t know
Page 281 and 282: 258 Table 1. Distributions of Decis
Page 285 and 286: Table 3-continued. 262 Variable Nam
Page 291 and 292: Table 6. Definition of Variables Re
Page 297 and 298: 274 Table 11. Frequency Distributio
Page 299 and 300: Chapter Eight YOUTH POLK COUNTY The
Page 301 and 302: 278 ...because of the last past thi
Page 303 and 304: 280 equal opportunity; yet, youth w
Page 305 and 306: 282 The trend in the interviews, fo
Page 307 and 308: 284 in the minority. Racism is indi
Page 309 and 310: 286 could single out a group that t
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288 I think it is because they are
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290 could trust the police, there w
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292 View of Probation Officer In th
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294 and he spoke out against me, ma
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296 Some of those blacks who did co
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Summary 298 In general, most of the
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304 Table 4-continued. White Black
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Table 4-continued. White Black Vari
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Charter Nine Adult Decision Makers
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316 from becoming recidivists and
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318 The paperwork. I think I do my
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320 By reading through the intervie
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322 difference is that youth are no
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324 this country. I don’t think i
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326 I think some of them have to pr
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328 I think they’re about the sam
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330 My feeling is that the most com
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332 The Juvenile Justice System In
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334 I have seen a couple of instanc
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336 The Disproportionate Overrepres
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338 It just goes to show that is al
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340 Race Findings Specific to Study
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342 Blacks Receive Consent Decrees
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344 small minority we are dealing w
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346 In response to the second phase
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348 As a person who hires here, I a
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350 Table 1. Distributions of Decis
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354 Table 3-continued. Variable Nam
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Table 6. Definition of Variable Rep
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366 Table 11. Frequency Distributio
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Chapter Ten Youth Scott County Ther
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370 have equal job opportunities (6
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372 concerning opportunities in the
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374 police brutality. One expressed
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376 feel police do not treat everyo
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378 just thinks you’re never goin
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380 The results from the self repor
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382 white youth who reported he wou
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384 When asked whether they regrett
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400 Table 8-continued White Black V
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402 asked more general questions th
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404 however, were the dominant them
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406 In all four counties, decision
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408 Recommendations A number of rec
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410 encourage sexual promiscuity, a
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412 decision makers have little exp
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414 resources and rising expectatio
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416 Depending on the county, decisi
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418 family cooperativeness or defic
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420 Table 1. Summary of Themes and
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422 Explanations of Specific Findin
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Bishop, D. and C. Fraz
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The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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