ALASKA
Disproportionate Minority Confinement
What is Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC)? Under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), disproportionate minority confinement (DMC) exists when the proportion of youths detained or confined in secure detention facilities, secure correctional facilities, jails and lockups who are members of minority groups exceed their groups' proportions in the general population.
How widespread is DMC? In virtually every state, at every stage of the juvenile justice system, youth of color are overrepresented and receive disparate treatment, particularly in secure confinement.
State Profile: Alaska
- Alaska has an estimated minority youth population of 35%.
- Based on the last DMC data update from 1996, Alaska Native and African-American youth were overrepresented at the initial point of referral.
- State DMC data for court proceedings showed Alaska Native youth were overrepresented in the dismissed and diverted court outcome decisions, while African-American youth were overrepresented in the dismissed and adjudicated court outcome decisions.
- In 1997, minority youth represented 47% of commitments to public facilities and 57% of secure detention placements.
Sources: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999) and Three-Year Plan. 2000-2002. Department of Health and Social Services.
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What must states do to comply with the DMC mandate? Current law directs states to identify the extent to which disproportionate minority confinement exists, to assess the reason that it exists and to develop intervention strategies to address the causes for disproportionate minority confinement. The law does not require, and has never resulted in, the release of any youths from custody based on race, nor has it required numerical quotas for arrests. No state's funding under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act has ever been reduced as a result of noncompliance with this provision.
Contact Information: To provide comments or obtain additional information on Alaska's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Alaska's state juvenile justice specialist:
Barbara Learmonth
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Division of Juvenile Justice
P.O. Box 110635
Juneau, AK 99811-0635
Phone: (907) 465-3855
Fax: (907) 465-2333
Email: blearmon@health.state.ak.us
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