NCJ Number
213943
Date Published
2005
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This report describes North Carolina's Disproportionate Minority Contact Reduction Initiative, which is part of the State's effort to comply with conditions for participating in the Formula Grants Program administered by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Abstract
Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) refers to the disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. In an effort to identify and reduce any DMC in its juvenile justice system, the Governor's Crime Commission created a DMC Committee. This committee provides recommendations to the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee regarding efforts to reduce the number of minority youth disproportionately detained or confined in secure detention, correctional facilities, and jails or lockups in relation to their representation in the general population. One strategy being pursued to address DMC in the State's juvenile justice system is to work with four demonstration counties to provide resources, technical assistance and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of programs and activities designed to reduce DMC in these jurisdictions. A second effort to reduce DMC involves the committee's collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in developing a uniform data-collection system that will allow for the accurate collection of data on the race of juveniles processed. A third initiative is to increase the awareness of DMC among State residents and juvenile justice professionals. This paper describes the efforts to reduce DMC in the juvenile justice systems of the four demonstration counties. As each demonstration county proceeds with an individualized DMC reduction plan, progress and outcomes will be measured, assessed, and duplicated if proven effective.