NCJ Number
226345
Date Published
2009
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of an assessment of disproportionate minority confinement in Nebraska's juvenile justice system.
Abstract
Highlights of findings from the study include; (1) in all four counties, minority offenders were over represented at all stages of the juvenile justice process, however, the amount of overrepresentation varied across counties; (2) in all four counties, offender age, offense seriousness, and prior offending affected processing outcomes more than race; (3) race impacted decisionmaking for certain offenders at particular stages of the system, such as pre-detention, petition, and secure confinement; however, the extent to which race affected these decisions varied across counties; and (4) survey and interview data collected from decisionmakers in each county revealed at least five factors that explained race disparities in processing and included: racial bias, legal factors, and extra-legal variables, including demeanor/attitude, socioeconomic status, and family status. Based on comprehensive examinations of the findings, recommendations were suggested. With the adding of the Disproportionate Minority Confinement Initiative to the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act in 1988 States are required to determine if minorities are overrepresented in secure facilities, ascertain the reasons for overrepresentation, and develop system responses to prevent future overrepresentation. This report examines disproportionate minority confinement in Nebraska's juvenile justice system. To ascertain the extent of minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system, data were collected from the counties of Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, and Sarpy. Tables and references