Disproportionate Confinement of Minority Youth in Nebraska

• NCJ Number: 158367
• Author(s): J A Lovell; M Overton; J A Mahon; J M Chambers; K A Olson; V Berman; K B Moore; G Flanery
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 80 pages
• Grant Number(s): 91-JF-CX-0031 (91-07)
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Corporate Author: Nebraska Cmssn on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
• Sale Source: Nebraska Cmssn on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In accordance with the Federal Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act's mandate that all States receiving formula grant funding participate in a research study on the confinement or detention of minority youth in the juvenile justice system, this study examines the confinement of minority youth in Nebraska.

Abstract

One of the issues addressed in the study is whether the percentage of minority youth confined is greater than the percentage of the State's minority youth population, and, if so, what factors account for this condition. The study also explored whether the data show bias or prejudice within the juvenile justice system at key decision points. It also examines the presence of other factors that may contribute to the disproportionate representation of minority youth in the juvenile justice system. Finally, based on the available data, the study proposes solutions to the problem. In addition to providing data on minority youth in the aggregate, the study provides data on specific minority groups, namely, African-American youth, Hispanic youth, and American Indian youth. The findings show that minority youth are arrested, detained prior to hearings, prosecuted, adjudicated delinquent, and committed to State agencies and secure facilities at greater rates than their representation in the population; they are more formally processed and more severely sanctioned in the system. The study recommends that bias at key decision points in the system be identified and policies and procedures formulated to address these issues. Training to familiarize personnel with new policies and procedures, as well as sensitivity training on bias would also help. Other recommendations involve developing a viable system of alternatives to incarceration that would include early intervention, diversion, family-focused community-based prevention, intervention and treatment programs, as well as non- secure detention, reintegration, and aftercare programs that focus on the needs of minority youth. The social and economic conditions of minority youth and families must also be addressed. Related issues are educational and vocational opportunities for juveniles. 14 figures, illustrative photographs, a 30-item bibliography, appended summary tables, a case flow chart, data summary tables, and client-based tracking factors