The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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Chapter Eleven SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Two research projects have been conducted over the last three years for the purpose of assessing why minority youth are disproportionately overrepresented in secure facilities in the state of Iowa. To address this issue, research was conducted in two phases. Phase One of the research examined case files in the juvenile court offices of Black Hawk, Woodbury, Polk, and Scott counties. Although legal variables (e.g., severity of the offense) were most often the most significant predictors of case outcome, race/ethnic effects and gender effects were observed at a number of the stages in each of the four counties. The race/ethnicity effect occurs typically at intake and petition, while the gender effect is present at the stage of judicial disposition. Minorities were also more likely than whites to receive an outcome involving placement in the state training school. This finding was present even after controlling for relevant legal and extralegal factors. Phase Two of the research was conducted to determine what factors may account for the above findings. Juvenile court personnel and delinquent youth in each of the four counties were interviewed to capture their views on a number of issues revolving around discrimination and fairness, in general. More specific, decision makers were asked for their feelings and opinions on a variety of topics: the role of the juvenile court, explanations of delinquency, race—specific differences in behavior, police relations, views of the findings from Phase One of the study, and suggestions reducing the disproportionate overrepresentation of minority youth in secure facilities. Youth were 401
402 asked more general questions than the adults that focused on the youths’ perceptions of job opportunities, police, probation officer, and school fairness. The primary focus is on the adult decision makers’ responses. Those from the youth served a secondary or complimentary role. An analytical framework was incorporated to examine decision making from a broad perspective. The underlying objective of this approach was to determine how decision makers’ views on a variety of issues impact decision making. The purpose in doing this was to place the observed race and gender findings within the context of this larger view of decision making. It was anticipated that this approach would provide a better understanding of the role legal and extralegal factors may have on juvenile justice decision making, which may or may not include subtle forms of racism or bias. In this Chapter, a summary of the results and themes that emerged from Phase Two of the research is presented and discussed. Recommendations for improving race relations and possibly, reducing the disproportionate overrepresentation of minority youth in secure facilities are provided in the last half of the Chapter.
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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
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186 Q: Do you feel racial discrimin
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188 Q: Do you feel that a black per
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190 In the interviews, half of the
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192 Trust The question asked in thi
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194 According to the Hispanic youth
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196 he always yells at the black ki
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(58 percent of the whites, 55 perce
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200 Q: Now, tell me why. A: Cause i
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202 Q: You mean of physical harm or
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204 have a lot of respect for the p
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Perceptions of Probation Officers 2
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208 blacks (Tables 5, 6). Generally
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210 Black youth He’s nice. He tal
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212 The first black youth believed
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214 because the teacher would not l
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216 and go to the principal’s off
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218 The youth have taken into consi
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Table 2-continued. White Black Vari
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226 Table 4-continued White Black V
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230 Table 6-continued. White Black
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236 Perceived Role of the Court and
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238 There is extremely more paperwo
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As in the responses to the closed e
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242 getting the support from the pa
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244 They seem to want to turn the k
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246 crime. There are some officers,
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Police 248 In response to the close
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250 tend to be drawn to gang activi
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252 Blacks and Detention The first
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254 The problem is availability. Th
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256 the percentages. I don’t know
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258 Table 1. Distributions of Decis
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Table 6. Definition of Variables Re
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274 Table 11. Frequency Distributio
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Chapter Eight YOUTH POLK COUNTY The
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278 ...because of the last past thi
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280 equal opportunity; yet, youth w
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282 The trend in the interviews, fo
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284 in the minority. Racism is indi
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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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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
Page 373 and 374: 350 Table 1. Distributions of Decis
Page 375 and 376: 352 Table 3. Frequency Distribution
Page 377 and 378: 354 Table 3-continued. Variable Nam
Page 381 and 382: Table 5-continued. 358 Variable Nam
Page 383 and 384: Table 6. Definition of Variable Rep
Page 385 and 386: Table 7-continued. 362 Variable Nam
Page 389 and 390: 366 Table 11. Frequency Distributio
Page 391 and 392: Chapter Ten Youth Scott County Ther
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Page 395 and 396: 372 concerning opportunities in the
Page 397 and 398: 374 police brutality. One expressed
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Page 401 and 402: 378 just thinks you’re never goin
Page 403 and 404: 380 The results from the self repor
Page 405 and 406: 382 white youth who reported he wou
Page 407 and 408: 384 When asked whether they regrett
Page 409 and 410: 386 Table 1. Definition of Variable
Page 411 and 412: 388 Table 2-continued. White Black
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Page 427 and 428: 404 however, were the dominant them
Page 429 and 430: 406 In all four counties, decision
Page 431 and 432: 408 Recommendations A number of rec
Page 433 and 434: 410 encourage sexual promiscuity, a
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Page 437 and 438: 414 resources and rising expectatio
Page 439 and 440: 416 Depending on the county, decisi
Page 441 and 442: 418 family cooperativeness or defic
Page 443 and 444: 420 Table 1. Summary of Themes and
Page 445 and 446: 422 Explanations of Specific Findin
Page 447: BIBLIOGRAPHY Bishop, D. and C. Fraz
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