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Questions and Answers on Disproportionate Minority Contact
What is Disproportionate Minority Contact?
How does a jurisdiction determine if overrepresentation exists?
What does DMC mean to California?
What steps does the federal government recommend to states for meeting the DMC requirement?
How is California responding to this federal mandate?
What is Disproportionate Minority Contact?
Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) refers to the overrepresentation of minority youth (all minority races and ethnic groups) who come into contact with the juvenile justice system relative to their numbers in the general population. Contact refers to all stages of the juvenile justice system, from an initial encounter with law enforcement (i.e., arrest) to all subsequent decision points (diversion, adjudication, confinement, etc.).
How does a jurisdiction determine if overrepresentation exists?
To facilitate the ability of states and local jurisdictions to determine if overrepresentation exists, the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has provided a comparison calculation tool for examining DMC. This tool, called the Relative Rate Index (RRI), may be used to examine the cumulative effects of the juvenile justice system processing in localities and as a data driven impetus for policy changes, better service delivery and cost-efficient governmental practices.
The RRI table reveals the processing rates of white youth to minority youth. If the processing rate for minority youth is identical to those of white youth, the RRI is 1.00. If the RRI is not equal to 1.00, it should be used as an indicator for further evaluation. The CSA uses the RRI to determine overrepresentation statewide; however, the RRI is one of many statistical calculations that may be used in determining overrepresentation.
For more information on the RRI, please visit www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/dmc/index.html.
What does DMC mean to California?
Under the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, states must achieve and maintain compliance with four core requirements in order to be eligible to participate in the Formula Grants Program, which provides funds in support of state and local efforts in the areas of delinquency prevention and intervention as well as juvenile justice system improvements. Among these requirements is the reduction of disproportionate minority representation in the juvenile justice system.
Specifically, the 2002 amendments to this federal law require states to address "juvenile delinquency prevention efforts and system improvement efforts designed to reduce, without establishing or requiring numerical standards or quotas, the disproportionate number of juvenile members of minority groups who come into contact with the juvenile justice system."
To continue to receive federal funds, California must demonstrate that it is working to reduce DMC in the juvenile justice system.
What steps does the federal government recommend to states for meeting the DMC requirement?
The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which administers the Formula Grants Program, recommends that state take five basic steps in their efforts to reduce DMC:
- Identification: Determine the extent, if any, to which DMC exists;
- Assessment: Assess the reasons for DMC (and its implications);
- Intervention: Develop and implement intervention strategies to address these identified reasons;
- Evaluation: Evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen intervention strategies; and
- Monitoring: Track changes in DMC trends and adjust intervention strategies as needed.
How is California responding to this federal mandate?
Since assuming responsibility for administering California's Formula Grant in January 2004, the Corrections Standards Authority (formerly called the Board of Corrections) has been working closely with the State Attorney General's Office to determine the extent of minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system, both on a statewide and local level. The Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) is using the Attorney General's Juvenile Court and Probation Statistical System (JCPSS) to gather state and county DMC data, then analyzing these data along with U.S. Census Bureau population data to identify trends and plan appropriate interventions. Access to the JCPSS reports is available at http://ag.ca.gov/cjsc/pubs.php.
In March 2005, DMC activities were bolstered through the board’s adoption of recommendations developed by a DMC workgroup made up of subject matter experts. As a result, the CSA established a full-time DMC coordinator position and implemented the Technical Assistance Project, a 14-month collaborative effort between the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and three counties to address DMC. In response to findings from an ongoing assessment of the DMC Technical Assistance Project, CSA staff crafted a proposal for enhancing this initiative through an investment of additional federal dollars and an incremental three-year approach to DMC reduction efforts to be dispersed through a competitive RFP process. In March 2006, the board approved this proposal, which was included in the Title II Formula Grant three-year juvenile justice plan and application submitted to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Enhanced DMC Technical Assistance Project (DMC-TAP): The DMC-TAP grant is designed to assist probation departments in understanding and identifying DMC and to equip these agencies with the tools and resources needed to provide leadership in developing and/or strengthening community-based DMC reduction activities. Formula grants are awarded for one year, with the possibility of funds for two more years if Congress appropriates money and a project has demonstrated effectiveness. A total of $2.625 million is available over the course of three years for the five counties selected to participate in the Project; however, the competitive RFP is for first year funding only. Consistent with the rules governing Formula Grant funds, grants for the second and third year of the Project will be awarded, on a non-competitive basis, to counties that successfully completed the first year’s project activities.
In addition, as part of its effort to address DMC, the CSA encouraged cities and counties applying for federal funds through the Title V Community Prevention Grants Program to consider projects focusing on the reduction of DMC. Of the seven Title V grants the CSA awarded in May 2005 through a competitive Request for Proposals process, five support DMC-focused projects.
Finally, CSA recently released the Title II Formula Grants Program Request for Proposal (RFP) that supports delinquency prevention/intervention efforts designed to curb juvenile crime and delinquency. Embedded within the RFP is a DMC educational mandate requiring awarded grantees to participate in a DMC “Training the Trainers” workshop. The intent is to further educate our constituents in DMC reduction.