DMC Factsheet: Maryland

MARYLAND

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: Maryland

Maryland has an estimated minority youth population of 40%.
In 1997, minority youth comprised 68% of commitments to public secure facilities and 73% of secure detention placements.
A national study of the transfer of youth to the adult criminal court, including Baltimore specific data, shows that more than nine of every 10 youths charged as adults in Baltimore are African-American.
African-American youth comprise 81% of those confined in the Cheltenham Youth Facility, the state's largest detention juvenile detention center.
In 1999, African-American youth made up 32% of youth statewide, but they accounted for 48% of youth at the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) intake, 64% of youth in detention and 72% of youth in secure confinement.

Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999); Three-Year Comprehensive Plan for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 2000-2002. Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention; Youth Crime/Adult Time: Is Justice Served? Pretrial Services Resource Center and Building Blocks for Youth; and Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice and Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition.

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

Catrice Alphonso
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention
300 E. Joppa Road, Suite 1105
Towson, MD 21286-3016
Phone: (410) 321-3521 x339
Fax: (410) 321-3116

Home / Juvenile Justice Issues / State-by-State Info / Research
Newsroom / About Us / BBY Partners / Contact us

Building Blocks for Youth
For a fair and effective youth justice system
...a comprehensive effort to protect minority youth in the justice system
and to promote rational and effective juvenile justice policies...