DMC Factsheet: Kentucky

KENTUCKY

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: Kentucky

Kentucky has an estimated minority youth population of 10%.
In 1999, 41% of the youth admitted to detention were minorities, a rate four times greater than their percentage of the general population.
Just over 25% of the youth committed to the Department of Justice (DJJ) in 1999 were minorities.
Between January 1997 and January 2000, African-American youth accounted for more than half (56%) of the youths transferred to adult court.

Source: Kentucky Disproportionate Minority Confinement Initiative Interim Report. Community Research Associates (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 Kentucky's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Kentucky's state juvenile justice specialist:

Sharon Cook
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Department of Juvenile Justice
1025 Capital Center Drive, 3rd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: (502) 573-2738
Fax: (502) 573-0307
Email: skcook@mail.state.ky.us

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