DMC Factsheet: Hawaii

HAWAII

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: Hawaii

Hawaii has an estimated ethnic minority youth population of 76%.
Hawaiian, Samoan, African-American and Filipino youth are arrested and referred to Family Court in significantly greater numbers than their proportion in Hawaii's youth population.
State DMC data from 1993-94 showed Native Hawaiians comprised approximately 31% of the youth population; 35% of arrests; 36% of referrals to Family Court; 43% of admissions to detention; and 53% confinements in Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF).
Once adjudicated, Hawaiian and Samoan youth are more likely than others to be confined at HYCF.

Source: Assessing Disproportionate Representation of Ethnic Groups in Hawaii's Juvenile Justice System: Phase Two. Center for Youth Research (1995) and Three-Year Plan. 2000-2002. Department of Human Services.

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 Hawaii's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Hawaii's state juvenile justice specialist:

Suzanne Toguchi
Children & Youth Specialist
Office of Youth Services
820 Mililani Street, Suite 817
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 587-5726
Fax: (808) 587-5734
Email: Stoguchi@dhs.hawaii.state.us

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