The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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Feelings About the Study Overall
Most of the personnel indicated either that they felt the findings represented the
reality in the juvenile justice system or they never really answered the question. There
were some, however, who expressed some concerns. Some felt that the study did not
accurately capture the quality of the family supervision and discipline as well as other
factors in the youths life, such as school problems. Others stated that it should have been
made more clear in the report that one explanation for black youth to referred on at intake
could be the unwillingness to admit guilt as required by state law. Still, others believed
some of the explanations for the findings were not well stated and “reflected, I thought, a
little bit of bias, a little bit of an inclination to define a problem that wasn’t necessarily
there.”
Suggestions for Change
The last component of the interview involved asking the decision makers what
they believed was needed to change the disproportionate overrepresentation of minority
youth in secure facilities. Here, the responses ranged from cultural awareness to more
programs to the hiring of more black personnel. Some officers also felt that it was not
their responsibility. The following quotes highlight some of these diverse opinions.
...We need more programs that provide for skill development. . .1 also
think there needs to be more pride for our minority population, more
programs where they feel a sense of accomplishment. That is very much a
societal kind of thing that we have very little control over but I think that
if you have parents that feel they are making a contribution to society, if
they feel that they have a worth-