The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

Chapter Two
Phase Two of the Research
Phase One of the research focused on the examination of files to assess the case
processing and case outcomes of youth in four juvenile court offices. The primary focus
was to examine the similarities and differences in the treatment of Blacks, Native
American Indians, and other minority groups relative to Whites. The findings suggest that
each of the four county juvenile court offices differ to some degree in what factors
influence decision making. Common characteristics, however, are the presence of race
and gender disparities in case outcomes at various stages in the proceedings. Most of the
differences appear at intake, petition, and judicial disposition. Overall, minorities in all
four counties are more likely than whites to be placed in the state training school.
Because Phase One of the research relied on official and unofficial records at the juvenile
court offices, little could be said as to why this could be occurring.
Phase Two of the research was conducted in an attempt to possibly answer why
minorities are disproportionately overrepresented in secure facilities. An analytical
framework was incorporated to look at juvenile justice decision making from a broad
perspective. To accomplish this task, adult decision makers and youth in Black Hawk,
Woodbury, Polk, and Scott counties were provided the opportunity to express their
feelings on a variety of issues revolving around fairness, decision making, case
processing, and case outcomes. The underlying
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