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KANSAS

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: Kansas
  • Kansas has an estimated minority youth population of 17%.
  • In 1997, minority youth made up 52% of commitments to public facilities and 49% of detention placements.
  • Fiscal year 1999 juvenile commitment data show 32% African-American and 12% Hispanic youth incarcerated at juvenile correctional facilities.

Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999) and FY 1999 Facts and Figures: Custody. Juvenile Justice Authority (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 Kansas' state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Kansas' state juvenile justice specialist:

Paula Schuttera
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Juvenile Justice Authority
714 SW Jackson
Suite 300
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: (785) 296-4213
Fax: (785) 296-1412



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