...Disproportionate Minority Contact in Juvenile Justice System Statement of the Problem or Objective Youth of color have been overrepresented in the American juvenile justice system. Youth of color are more often arrested, court referred, placed in lock facilities, and transferred to adult criminal courts. Analysts attribute the unique age- and race-specific crime pattern to the confluence of broader structural changes including the deindustrialization of cities, the racial concentration of poverty and single-parent households, and the inner-city crack cocaine epidemic. In turn, media depictions of gang and gun violence by minorities—‘‘if it bleeds, it leads’’—fanned public fears and provided political impetus to ‘‘criminalize’’ more youths and punish them as criminals and to adopt more-punitive juvenile justice policies. Despite the lack of standardization in data collection and analysis, 32 of the state jurisdictions studied reported that race=ethnicity effects existed independent of criminal record offense involvement, whereas 12 states attributed DMC solely to legal factors. The proposed study contribute to our understanding of crime and policy response to crime. Youth of color make up 78% of those in the juvenile justice system. Literature Review & Theoretical Perspective Mallett and Stoddard Stated that African American youths are 6 times more likely than white youths to experience facility placement. Vazsonyi and Chen stated that even though there are a lower...
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...act was passed in 1974, the JJDPA focused solitary on preventing juvenile delinquency and on rehabilitating juvenile offenders. Since the original enactment of the JJDPA in 1974, the periodic reauthorizations have been controversial, as the Act's opponents have sought to weaken its protections for youth, reduce prevention resources, and encourage the transfer of youth to the adult criminal justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act follow a series of federal protections, known as the "core protections," on the care and treatment of youth in the justice system. The four "core protections" of the act are, the Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO), Sight and Sound separation, Jail Removal, and Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC). The "DSO" and "Sight and Sound" protections were part of the original law in 1974. The "Jail Removal" provision was added in 1980 in response to finding youth incarcerated in adult facilities resulted in "a high suicide rate, physical, mental, and sexual assault, inadequate care and programming, negative labeling, and exposure to serious offenders and mental patients." The "DMC" requirement was added in the JJDPA in 1992. Literature Review The compliance of states towards the requirements of the JJDP Act is monitored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. As of the year 2000, the...
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...The Racial Disparities and Incarceration of Juvenile Delinquents Mario M. Tate University of Memphis Abstract The criminal justice system has had to enact harsher treatment due to the erratic and unpredictable nature of juvenile delinquents who refuse to follow the law. The age ranges for juveniles that are being considered in this study are 12-18 years old. I want to address the ever growing problems of racial disparity and incarceration of juvenile delinquents, who tend to not have any other options, but being arrested and are preyed upon because of their racial make-up. Single parent households, lack of education, supervision, and economics are some of the contributing factors which have lead many juveniles down the road to their deviant behavior. Data has been collected to try and understand the reasons for the defiant behavior of juveniles, so advocates may assist them in remaining with their families; through constant monitoring and evaluations of behavior and actions of our children they may stand a significant chance of growing up to be prosperous and productive adults. Also increased funding through the Juvenile Justice Prevention Act will help local state and county municipalities’ kick-start programs to assist today’s youth. Keywords: juvenile delinquents, incarceration, racial disparity, juvenile justice, racial discrimination, jail, juvenile courts The history of juvenile delinquency and racial disparity has gone hand in hand for a very long time and...
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...color and their communities. The mass majority of the prison population consist more of minorities and nonwhites and many incarcerated because of drug related reasons, however, the issue of whites out numbering blacks 5 to 1 and both groups use and sell drugs (ACLU,2013,1) seem to be ignored. Similarly Drug Policy Alliance states that "although rates of drug use and selling are comparable across racial lines, people of color are more likely to be stopped searched and arrested and prosecuted convicted and incarcerated for drug law violations than are whites"(DPA,2015). This of course, having many negative outcomes for minorities failing to understand that system will affect minority individuals physically, mentally and emotionally. The war...
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...946 or 63 percent are black or Latino, though these two groups constitute only 25 percent of the national population. Some of the greatest racial disparities in rates of incarceration happen in states in which minorities are massed in urban areas, which tend to have both higher rates of crime and greater law enforcement activity. This paper will also discuss how these incarcerations affect the offenders, public safety, criminal policies and procedures. Racial Disparities in Corrections There are many factors regarding the disproportional rates of incarceration in communities of color. Data generated by the U.S. Department of Justice predicts that if current trends continue, one out of every three black males born today will go to prison in his lifetime, as well as one of every six Latino males. The rates of incarceration for women overall are lower than for men, but similar racial/ethnic disparities still apply. Some law makers are looking at ways to develop policies and practices to reduce insupportable racial disparities in the criminal justice system, it is essential to analyze the factors that have produced the increasing levels of incarceration in relations to racial/ethnic disparity. Research has shown that the factors are disproportionate crime rates, overlap of race and class...
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...government passed an act known as the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. This act was a national entity that focused on research and the dissemination of research related to juvenile delinquency and delinquency prevention (Bates & Swan, 2016, p. 290). The JJDP act had four core requirements which included the deinstitutionalization of status offenders, adult jail and lockup removal, sight and sound separation, and reduction of disproportionate minority contact. The deinstitutionalization of status offenders focused on not giving juveniles any jail time in adult facilities and not letting them stay in juvenile facilities for an extended amount of time. Adult jail and lockup removal focuses on protecting juveniles from psychological or physical abuse that is commonly experienced in adult facilities. Sight and sound separation focuses on making sure that juveniles are not placed anywhere where the can hear or see the adult inmates. Lastly, the reduction of disproportionate minority contact focuses on reducing the number of minority juveniles that are adjudicated. In the 2000’s the perception of juveniles shifted again to the original perception. The perception was that juveniles are not fully developed and should be protected from cruel and unusual punishment. In the case Roper v. Simmons (2005), the court made it illegal to sentence a person to death if they committed the act while they were a juvenile. This case offered juveniles more protection and has this notion...
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...profiling is present, or it is the result of the differential offending patterns of the minority. After researching, I believe that aboriginal and blacks are over-represented in the criminal justice system due to racial discrimination and profiling. My reasoning behind this is based on the collected data that supports the fact that racial discrimination and profiling is apparent in the criminal justice system. Racial discrimination and profiling is most associated with the police, and that is strictly because they are the first contact with the suspects, victims, citizens, and the offenders. I also believe that the causes of the problem and the potential solutions are the same for both aboriginal and black people. The only variable that might alter the causes of the problem, and the potential solutions is the location in which the aboriginal and blacks live in. This being said, racial discrimination and profiling are without doubt the primary attributes in the over-representation of aboriginals and blacks in the criminal justice system. Although I agree with the fact that certain minority youths contain a greater involvement in delinquent behaviour. This does not provide an adequate explanation on their over-representation in various forms of police contact. As Carrington and Fitzgerald (2009) stated in their chapter, “research evidence suggests that the disproportionate minority youth contact with the police in...
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...Course Project LeAnne Aragon SOC350 Gail Rognan April 14, 2012 Introduction Sharp differences in drug arrest rates in different U.S. cities show that much of the racial disparity is the result of decisions by local law enforcement officials to concentrate enforcement in minority inner-city neighborhoods rather than, for instance, in majority white suburbs (Disproportionate Incarceration. 2009). The proof of this lies in the data that one in nine black men between the ages of 25-29 are incarcerated compared to one in 30 other men of the same age. Why? The purpose of this paper is to investigate how racial discrimination in the justice system still exists and how it correlates to the misconception that drug abuse and drug dealing activity is more prevalent among African American males in this age group. Another factor to be addressed is how society has victimized the black man in the “get tough on crime” and the “war on drug” movements. And finally, this paper will address how continued discrimination affects peoples’ ability to change. Race and Imprisonment in the United States Statistics show that African-American men make up 13.6 percent of the U.S. population and 40.2 percent of the U.S. prison population. Even though rates of drug use and selling are similar across the races, people of color are far more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted, convicted and incarcerated for drug law violations than are whites. Michelle Alexander...
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...incarcerated is that prisoners are prohibited from any private contact with their spouse. However, this is not the case with the policy of conjugal visits. These special visits, allow an inmate and his/her spouse a private visit. They are permitted to engage in sexual intercourse. Often times the visits include family members, such as grandparents or children. The intention for these visits are “designed to help keep families together in an environment that approximates home… and serve as incentives for good behavior, reduce sexual activity among prisoners and strengthen families” (Seversonjan). Nonetheless, recent debates have ensued in state penitentiaries about conjugal visits. For starters, these visits are only allowed to a minority of prisoners who are legally married. Those that aren’t would get jealous about not being able to participate. There are also the dangers of sexually transmitted infections (such as HIV) or unplanned pregnancies. The program is also very expensive, costing the prison and tax payers lots of money. Originally, these visits were used as a bribe in the early 1900’s. Sex was used to push African Americans inmates to work harder in the fields. Still holding true today, conjugal visits are used “more as a way to control inmates than nurture relationships” (Seversonjan). Fifty years ago, during the pre-civil war era, a similar, but harsher system was in effect. Slaves and other minorities were not permitted to marry under US law. Marriage’s regulatory...
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...Endnotes 1. Mauer, M. (2006). Race to Incarcerate. 2nd Ed. New York: The New Press, p. 13. 2. Throughout this manual, we use terms such as “racial groups” and “minorities” interchangeably, with an understanding that many, but not necessarily all, of the dynamics of the criminal justice system apply to various racial and ethnic groups. 3. Leinfelt, F. H. (2006). Racial Influences on the Likelihood of Police Searches and Search Hits: A Longitudinal Analysis from an American Midwestern City. Police Journal, 79(3): 238–257. 4. Office of Justice Systems Analysis (1995). Disparities in Processing Felony Arrests in New York State: 1990–1992, Office of Justice Systems Analysis, New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. 5. Sabol, W. J., and Couture, H. (2008). Prison Inmates at Midyear 2007. Washington, D.C. Bureau of Justice Statistics. 6. U.S. Census Bureau (2007). 2006 American Community Survey. Available online at: http://www.census.gov/acs/ www/index.html. 7. Sabol and Couture, op. cit. 8. U.S. Census Bureau, op. cit. 9. Bonczar, T. P. (2003). Prevalence of Imprisonment in the U.S. Population, 1974–2001. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics. 10. Snyder, H. (2006). Juvenile Arrests 2004. OJJDP Bulletin: Washington, D.C.: National Disproportionate Minority Contact Databook. 11. Federal Bureau of Investigation (2007). Crime in the United States, 2006. Washington, D.C. 12. Spohn, C. (2001). Thirty Years of Sentencing Reform: The Quest...
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...previous years of 3%. Juvenile Crimes also fell 2% in the same year. These trends were gathered from the Uniform Crime Report and do not include the number of juveniles that had any police contact. These are arrests that were cleared by law enforcement. Juvenile crimes are easier to clear because of the evidence that is needed to accuse a person. Adults need probable cause to be detained and charged but juveniles only need preponderance of evidence. Increase Drugs and Assaults Between the years of 1990 and 1997 the amount of Juvenile arrests were drug related rose 145%. This percent declined 28% between 1997 and 2008. The amount of drug arrests rose 78% then the rate in 1990. This can show the rise in the Creation of drug cartels and the mass production of Heroine and Meth. Compared to the peak of Violent Crimes and Assaults, the rates of arrests fell substantially for this type of crime. The rate fell 40% for violent crimes. Between 1980 and 1997, Juveniles arrested for simple assault saw a 156% increase. Between 1994 and 2008 arrests for aggravated assault declined steadily since the mid-1990s. Programs were created to combat these types of offenses, but with the economy tanking in the mid-1980s and again in 2008; it was hard to target necessary groups. Minority Groups Minorities in this country are...
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...aspects, if courts exercise parens patriae, parents did not have adequate influence over the at risk youth. Just as with the Industrial Era, today we are seeing more children unsupervised and lacking discipline. When the parents and communities fail to provide direction, motivation, and mentorship the justice system is forced to step in and implement measures in efforts to deter children from becoming adult criminals. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is a federal program partnered with state and local governments providing standards in dealing with juveniles. The four components of the program include: Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO), Jail Removal, Sight and Sound Separation, and Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) (Campaign for Youth Justice, n.d.-a, p. 1-2). In short the federal government provides funding to States to implement programs that keep juveniles out of jail for status crimes that only juveniles can be charged with except under certain circumstances. The program discourages juveniles to be jailed with adult offenders. If circumstances requires confinement in an adult jail the juveniles are placed out of sight and sound of adult offenders. States are required to have programs in place where the confinement of colored juveniles is higher than other races (Campaign for Youth Justice, n.d.-a, p. 1-2). The JJDPA has been amended several times and will continue to evolve as new programs are developed to save our juveniles...
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...& ANTHROPOLOGY CAPSTONE PRINCIPIA COLLEGE APRIL 2015 ABSTRACT Throughout history, the struggle of minorities has been seen in many facets of life such as in history, literature, music and film: Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi fought for the right of unrepresented minorities. Books such as Too Kill a Mocking Bird spoke to the prejudices of a community. Movies such as Roots illustrated the hardship of the slaves. From the Roman’s persecution of Christians to today’s rap song lyrics about economic disparities the plight of the minority has been fought for millennium. This research examines the struggle of minorities within the juvenile justice system and the differential rates of adjudication and length of sentencing between the white majority and the black minority juvenile offenders. During the course of this research, additional insights were gained from an internship at a youth correctional center as well as drawing on my own personal experience as a refugee from Gabon. The findings of my research demonstrate that minority offenders do receive harsher sentences than the whites, and that there are several factors contributing to higher rates of juvenile delinquency among African Americans; primarily education and community. To consider the struggle of minorities is important because it creates awareness that the maltreatment of a minority group by the dominant majority often ends in violence and destruction. If we can understand what cause the inequality...
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...* An act may be part of the isolated behavior of an individual: * Intentionally discriminates based on personal prejudice. * An act may be part of the routine, institutionalized behavior of a group. * The act must intentionally discriminate out of personal prejudice. * An act may be part of the isolated behavior of a single individual who unintentionally discriminates because he or she uncritically adopts the practices and stereotypes of his or her society * An act may be part of the systematic routine of a group that unintentionally discriminates because group members uncritically incorporate the discriminatory practices of society. Discrimination: Its Extent * Discrimination exists when a disproportionate number of a certain group's members hold less desirable positions despite their preferences and abilities. * Three types of comparisons provide evidence: * Comparisons of average benefits given to various groups, * Comparisons of the proportion of a group found in the lowest levels of the institution, Comparisons of the proportion of a group found in the...
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...treatment of minorities has created great disparities in incarceration amongst the races. Blatant cases of racist law enforcement that are covered in the news are a testament to the fact that racism within police departments exists from coast to coast. However, these are only the cases that people find out about; there are countless other cases of police racism and brutality that are not reported. A series of reports that have been published in the last few years have shown that young black men are being incarcerated at a rate far greater than their number in the overall population. In the fall of 1995, Vincent Schiraldi, executive director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco, released a study that found that nationally 33% of the black men in their 20~s were under the control of the criminal justice system in some way, shape or form. This shows an increase from 1991, when 25% of the black men nationwide ages 20 to 29 were incarcerated, on probation, or on parole (Butterfield 1996). Schiraldi, attributed the higher incarceration rates for black men to tougher punishment for the use of crack cocaine than for other drugs; harsh new sentencing laws; the prison construction boom; and poverty, lack of good jobs and poor education in inner cities. We will address how tougher punishments have resulted in worse treatment for minorities in the criminal justice system. The tougher punishment for the use of crack cocaine, which is prevalent in minority neighborhoods...
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