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African-American Youth in The Juvenile Justice System

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4<br />

In t r o d u c t i o n<br />

M<strong>in</strong>ority youth are disproportionately represented<br />

throughout juvenile justice systems <strong>in</strong> nearly every<br />

state <strong>in</strong> the nation. Disproportionate m<strong>in</strong>ority<br />

contact <strong>in</strong> juvenile justice occurs when m<strong>in</strong>ority<br />

youth come <strong>in</strong>to contact with the system at a<br />

higher rate than their white counterparts. <strong>African</strong>-<br />

<strong>American</strong>s, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders and<br />

Native <strong>American</strong>s comprise a comb<strong>in</strong>ed one-third<br />

of the nation’s youth population. Yet they account<br />

for over two-thirds of the youth <strong>in</strong> secure juvenile<br />

facilities.<br />

Research by the National Council on Crime and<br />

Del<strong>in</strong>quency and the Center for Children’s Law<br />

and Policy suggests that m<strong>in</strong>ority youth receive<br />

harsher treatment than their white counterparts<br />

at nearly every stage of the juvenile justice process.<br />

M<strong>in</strong>ority juveniles are conf<strong>in</strong>ed and sentenced<br />

for longer periods and are less likely to receive<br />

alternative sentences or probation compared to<br />

white juveniles.<br />

Ex p l a n at i o n s f o r<br />

Di s p r o p o rt i o n at e<br />

M<strong>in</strong>ority Co n ta c t<br />

Various explanations have emerged for the<br />

disproportionate treatment of m<strong>in</strong>orities. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

range from jurisdictional issues, certa<strong>in</strong> police<br />

practices and punitive juvenile crime legislation of<br />

the 1990s to perceived racial bias <strong>in</strong> the system.<br />

Jurisdiction<br />

<strong>The</strong> Office of <strong>Juvenile</strong> <strong>Justice</strong> and Del<strong>in</strong>quency<br />

Prevention (OJJDP) po<strong>in</strong>ts out that results can<br />

depend on the jurisdiction <strong>in</strong> which the youth is<br />

processed. Cases adjudicated <strong>in</strong> urban areas, for<br />

example, are more likely to result <strong>in</strong> harsher results<br />

than similar cases adjudicated <strong>in</strong> non-urban areas.<br />

M<strong>in</strong>ority <strong>Youth</strong> <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Juvenile</strong> <strong>Justice</strong> <strong>System</strong><br />

Because m<strong>in</strong>ority populations are concentrated <strong>in</strong><br />

urban areas, a geographic effect may work to overrepresent<br />

m<strong>in</strong>orities statewide.<br />

Another contribut<strong>in</strong>g factor related to urbanization<br />

is the location and visibility of m<strong>in</strong>ority youth crimes<br />

also is viewed as a contribut<strong>in</strong>g factor. Accord<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to the OJJDP, although white youth tend to use<br />

and sell drugs <strong>in</strong> their homes, m<strong>in</strong>ority youth are<br />

more likely to do so on street corners or <strong>in</strong> public<br />

neighborhood gather<strong>in</strong>g spots.<br />

Law Enforcement<br />

Police practices that target low-<strong>in</strong>come urban<br />

neighborhoods and use group arrest procedures<br />

also can contribute to disproportionate m<strong>in</strong>ority<br />

contact. OJJDP arrest rate statistics illustrate that<br />

<strong>African</strong>-<strong>American</strong> youth are arrested at much higher<br />

rates than their white peers for drug, property and<br />

violent crimes. MacArthur Foundation research<br />

shows <strong>African</strong>-<strong>American</strong> youth are arrested at<br />

twice the rate of their white peers for drug crimes.<br />

Although these statistics suggest that m<strong>in</strong>ority<br />

youth simply commit more crimes, the matter is<br />

more complicated. A 2003 National Survey <strong>in</strong> Drug<br />

Use and Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental<br />

Health Services Adm<strong>in</strong>istration documented that<br />

white youth are just as likely—or even more so—to<br />

be <strong>in</strong>volved with illegal drug use and sales.<br />

Punitive <strong>Juvenile</strong> Laws<br />

In the early 1990s, states reacted to a spike <strong>in</strong><br />

juvenile homicides with handguns by enact<strong>in</strong>g<br />

tough laws that made it easier to try and sentence<br />

youth as adults. Many states enacted “automatic<br />

transfer laws” to exempt certa<strong>in</strong> crimes from<br />

juvenile court jurisdiction. Under these laws, a<br />

juvenile is automatically referred to adult court<br />

for adjudication based on the alleged crime. <strong>The</strong><br />

legislation also provided prosecutors and judges<br />

with more discretion to try juveniles as adults.<br />

Research <strong>in</strong>dicates that automatic transfer provisions<br />

have disproportionately affected m<strong>in</strong>ority<br />

National Conference of State Legislatures

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