The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

Chapter Three
ADULT DECISION MAKERS BLACK HAWK COUNTY
Nineteen adult juvenile court decision makers were interviewed in this county.
Juvenile court officers, a judge, two public defenders, and a prosecutor were interviewed.
The demographics and mean length of time on the job for 17 of these individuals are
presented in Table 1 at the end of the chapter. Of the 17 decision makers, 10 are male and
7 female. Fifteen are white and 2 are black. The mean age of the personnel was 38. The
mean length of time on the job is 12 years.
The juvenile justice personnel in Black Hawk county appear to be guided by a
rehabilitative/legalistic orientation. Holding youth accountable for their behavior emerges
as a strong goal. A breakdown in family support and supervision, and overall distrust of
the system are seen as possible explanations for the disproportionate overrepresentation
of minorities in the system. Bias at the point of arrest was also cited as a contributing
factor. Responses to closed ended questions and impressions from readings of the
transcribed interviews were used to arrive at these conclusions.
Perceived Role of the Court and Views of the System
Rehabilitation/Legalistic Orientation
Almost all decision makers believe deterrence and the maintenance of social order
range from very to somewhat important
33