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Closer Look at Disproportionate Minority Confinement in the North Carolina Juvenile Justice System

NCJ Number
182837
Author(s)
Doug Yearwood; Michael Wilson; Tina Gillespie
Date Published
2000
Length
37 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this study was to determine if minority overrepresentation in North Carolina in the areas of juvenile arrest rates, juvenile detention school admissions, and juvenile training school admissions increased or decreased between 1990 and 1998.
Abstract
Data were collected from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation's Division of Criminal Information. A questionnaire was also developed and administered to law enforcement agencies, juvenile court counselors, and juvenile detention and training school administrators. Arrest data for minority youth between 10 and 18 years of age were compared for the 1990-1998 period. The minority arrest index score declined after 1994, but the statewide index climbed during the period. Although minority detention and training school admission indexes remained constant between 1994 and 1998, both indexes escalated over the 1990-1998 period. Further analysis indicated the number of alternative programs within a specific district had no effect on minority detention and training school indexes. However, it was discovered both crime seriousness and community variance had an effect on detention and training school admissions. The authors conclude disproportionate minority confinement still exists in North Carolina's juvenile justice system, and they offer recommendations to address this problem. The form used to collect data from juvenile justice officials is appended. 12 references and 24 figures