NCJ Number
152872
Journal
Advocate Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1994) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1994
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Minority groups are disproportionately represented in Tennessee's juvenile justice system, and efforts of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) to correct the imbalance are discussed.
Abstract
Minority populations include blacks, American Indians, Asian Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics. Federal regulations require that each minority group accounting for at least 1 percent of the State population be examined. In Tennessee, blacks represent the only minority group that accounts for at least 1 percent of the State population. The TCCY is responsible for studying the problem of minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system and for bringing Tennessee into compliance with Federal regulations embodied in the 1988 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. To this end, the TCCY conducted a study of minority overrepresentation in secure juvenile detention facilities, juvenile correctional facilities, adult jails, and adult lockups, based on monitoring data for 1992. The study also used 1990 Census information on the population at risk, juveniles between 12 and 17 years of age. Data on juveniles in both rural and urban areas documented minority overrepresentation but did not explain why it occurred. Recommendations of the TCCY to address minority overrepresentation in Tennessee's juvenile justice system focus on education and awareness, the development of avenues for collaboration, improved data collection, and the implementation of specific programs that address minority overrepresentation. 8 figures