African-American Youth in The Juvenile Justice System
African-American Youth in The Juvenile Justice System
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