Minority youths are overrepresented at every stage of the juvenile justice process (arrest, detention, prosecution, adjudication, and transfer to adult court). National statistics on the racial and ethnic makeup of juvenile offenders from arrest, court processing, and confinement raise some fundamental questions: Why is the number of minority youth in the juvenile justice system so out of proportion to their representation in the general population? Is the juvenile justice system equipped to provide prevention services, appropriate interventions, and alternatives to secure confinement for all juvenile offenders?

The most recent statistics available reveal significant racial and ethnic disparity in the confinement of juvenile offenders. In 1997, minorities made up about one-third of the juvenile population nationwide but accounted for nearly two-thirds of the detained and committed population in secure juvenile facilities. For black juveniles, the disparities were most evident. While black juveniles ages 10 to 17 made up about 15% of the juvenile population, they accounted for 26% of juveniles arrested and 45% of delinquency cases involving detention. About one-third of adjudicated cases involved black youth, yet 40% of juveniles in secure residential placements were black.U.S. Department of Justice

STATISTICS

• In 2000, youths of color accounted for approximately 32 percent of the U.S. juvenile population, but 58 percent of youth in juvenile facilities. Of the 78 percent of boys in juvenile facilities across the country, nearly 60 percent are minority youth. More than half of all girls in juvenile facilities are minorities.

• Nationally, Black youth under age 18 represent 15 percent of the juvenile population but make up 26 percent of juvenile arrests, 31 percent of referrals to juvenile court, 44 percent of the detained population, 34 percent of youth formally processed by the juvenile court, 46 percent of youth sent to adult court, 32 percent of youth adjudicated delinquent, 40 percent of youth in residential placement, and 58 percent of youth in state adult prisons.

• Between 1988 and 1997, the percent increase in the number of cases involving detention was more than two times greater for Black youths than for White youths (52 versus 25 percent, respectively). For every year during that same time period, Black youths were more likely to be detained than White youths for all offense categories.

• In 1997, Hispanic juveniles in residential placement were more likely to be confined behind locked doors than any other racial group.

“In some areas of the country, it is now more likely for
a black male between 15 and 25 to die from homicide than it was
for a United States soldier to be killed on a tour of duty in Vietnam. ”
New York Times, December 7, 1990.

LINKS

Juvenile Justice | Schools | Resources

Juvenile Justice

Minorities in the Juvenile Justice System

Here is a good collection of articles on minority offending and confinement from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Public opinion on youth, crime, and race: A guide for advocates

This report by the Youth Law Center examines public attitudes toward minority juvenile offenders. The report identifies some important public misperceptions about juvenile crime, but also notes strong public support for treatment and rehabilitation of youthful offenders.

Youth prosecution and racial disparity

This report documents pervasive racial disparities in how juvenile offenders are treated in the juvenile justice system and analyzes media coverage of juvenile crime.

Race, ethnicity, and serious and violent juvenile offending

This report from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency explains why different data sources and research methods lead to different conclusions about the link between minority status and juvenile offending.

Minorities in the juvenile justice system

This is a 16-page report from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention presenting detailed statistics on ethnic and racial disparity in the confinement of juvenile offenders.

Firearm violence: Youth and minorities

Here is a fact sheet on firearm violence among youth and minorities, prepared by the prestigious Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC)

Here is a 12-page report on how five states attempted to reduce disproportionate minority confinement.

Broadening our understanding of violence against women among racial, ethnic, and cultural minorities

This is a summary of different points of view presented at a National Institute of Justice-sponsored workshop on violence against women.

Resources

Counseling to prevent youth violence

Statistics for persons at greatest risk of violence victimization

Prison Activist Resource Center

Statistics regarding African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans involved in the justice system

American Bar Association

Demonstrates policy and administrative changes emerging in juvenile justice systems across the nation.

National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center

Helpful resources for combating various forms of discriminiation and racism

Multicultural resources

Culturally specific mental health resources

Services for Youth in the Virginia and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area