DMC Factsheet: Illinois

ILLINOIS

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: Illinois

Illinois has an estimated minority youth population of 36%.
The 1996 county studies show disproportionately large representation of minority youth at various juvenile justice decision points throughout the state.
African-American youth were overrepresented among admissions to the Illinois Department of Corrections in 22 of the 23 counties where African-Americans accounted for at least 3% of the total youth population.
In 1997, minority youth comprised 70% of commitments to public facilities and 78% of secure detention placements.

Source: Assessment of Minority Representation in 26 Illinois County Juvenile Justice Systems. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (1996) and Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999).

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

Brenda Welch
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Department of Human Services
33 East Congress, 5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60605
Office: (312) 793-2748
Fax: (312) 793-2760

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