NCJ Number
241475
Date Published
June 2012
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This report - the second in a series of three analyses of the impact of Federal, State, and local criminal justice system practices on minorities in New York State's Capital Region (Albany County) - examines disproportionate minority contact in the Capital Region's juvenile justice system.
Abstract
The report's first section describes the state of the juvenile justice system in New York State, noting the widely acknowledged need for change. Although the number of juveniles in New York's residential facilities had a 30-percent decline from 2000 to 2008, racial and ethnic disparities persist, particularly for African-American and Latino youth, who constitute just over 80 percent of placements in New York's juvenile institutional facilities. The second section describes the juvenile justice system process, followed by a section that presents data to show the disproportionate representation of minorities in the Capital Region's juvenile justice system. The fourth section of the paper describes the consequences of involvement with the juvenile justice system, including the possibility of placement in one of the State's secure confinement facilities. It is much more likely for children of color to become enmeshed in the juvenile justice system. The concluding section provides specific recommendations for improvement, encouraging Capital Region juvenile justice officials and the communities they serve to acknowledge disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system and commit to change. 41 notes