DMC Factsheet: Indiana

INDIANA

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: Indiana

Indiana has an estimated minority youth population of 14%.
In 1997, minority youth made up 41% of commitments to public facilities and 38% of detention placements.
Statewide, 268 White youth were in residential placement on October 29, 1997 for every 100,000 youths in the population compared to 1,168 African-American youth, 521 Hispanic, 58 American Indian, and 53 Asian youth.
A national study of the transfer of youth to adult criminal courts showed that in Marion County, 65% of cases filed in adult criminal courts involved minority youth.

Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999) and Youth Crime/Adult Time? Is Justice Served? Building Blocks for Youth (2000).

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

Nikki Kincaid
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
302 Washington Street, Room E209
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2767
Phone: (317) 232-1233
Fax: (317) 232-4979

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