Plymouth County - the Youth Advocacy Division

Disproportionate Minority Contact in MassachusettsDisproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) refers to the overrepresentation of minority i youthin the juvenile justice system at all points in the juvenile justice process. ii The charts belowshow the incidence of DMC in the Massachusetts and Plymouth County juvenile justicesystems from pre-arraignment (i.e., secure alternative lockup) through DYS commitment. iiiMassachusetts: Minority Representation in the JuvenileJustice System100%80%60%40%24%64%59%39%62%68%20%0%TotalPopulationage 10 - 17SecureAlternativeLockup*SecureDetentionsProbationPlacementsDYSCommittedPopulationDYSHardwareSecureFacilities*DMC in Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: Minority Representation in theJuvenile Justice System100%80%60%40%20%16%47%57%43%63%75%0%TotalPopulationage 10-17SecureAlternativeLockup*SecureDetentionsProbationPlacementsDYSCommitedPopulationDYSHardwareSecureFacilities*Juvenile Defense Network ~ Lawyers Helping Lawyers Helping Kids

Endnotesi Minority youth, in this context, are generally defined as African-American, Native American, Latino, PacificIslander and Asian American. See, e.g., Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, 28 C.F.R.31.303 (j)(6).The data among the sources are not always consistent as to what groups are included in thestatistics.iiOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (n.d.) “Disproportionate Minority Contact,”http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/programs/ProgSummary.asp?pi=18&ti=&si=&kw=DMC&PreviousPage=ProgResults.iii United States Census Bureau. (June 2001). Census 2000 Summary File 1 / Massachusetts. Prepared bythe U.S. Census Bureau, 2001; Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (data from 2003 and January1, 2004), Office of the Commissioner of Probation (data from 2002); Massachusetts Department of YouthServices, Office of the Commissioner of Probation (2002), Executive Office of Public Safety. The dataprovided in these charts are the most recent available at the time of this printing.Secure Alternative Lockup Programs –pre-arraignment detention facilitiesDYS Hardware Secure Facilities – secure locked DYS facilities for delinquent and youthfuloffenders committed to DYSAdditional resources on DMC that are available on the internet:Annie E. Casey Foundation – http://www.aecf.orgBuilding Blocks for Youth – http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.orgChild Welfare League of America – http//www.cwla.orgCitizens for Juvenile Justice - http:// www.cfjj.orgExecutive Office of Public Safety, Commonwealth of Massachusetts –http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=eopshomepage&L=1&L0=Home&sid=EeopsJuvenile Justice Evaluation Center – http://www.jrsa.orgNational Juvenile Defender Center - http://www.njdc.info/index.phpOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention - http://ojjdp.ncjrs.orgThe W. Haywood Burns Institute - http://burnsinstitute.orgYouth Advocacy Project/Juvenile Defense Network (CPCS) -http://www.youthadvocacyproject.org/jdn.htmThis project is supported by Grant # 2004 JF-FX 0048 awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Officeof Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety Programs Division andsubgranted to the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Points of view in this document are those of the author(s) and do notnecessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or the Massachusetts Executive Office ofPublic Safety Programs Division.Juvenile Defense NetworkYouth Advocacy Project/ Committee for Public CounselTen Malcolm X Blvd.Roxbury, MA 02119