MONTANA
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: Montana
- Montana has an estimated minority youth population of 12%.
- While American Indians represented about 10% percent of the youth population and about the same proportion (10) of arrests in 1999, they comprised about 15% of youth confined in secure detention facilities, 14% of youth incarcerated in secure juvenile correctional facilities, and 19% of youth confined in adult jails.
- Hispanics represented 5% of the youth entering secure detention facilities in 1999, 8% of persons incarcerated in secure juvenile correctional facilities, and less than one percent of youth confined in adult jails. Hispanics comprised about 2% of the youth population in 1999.
- American Indians and Hispanics were charged with more serious offenses than were others during 1999.
Source: Report on Disproportionate Confinement of Minority in Montana. Mountain Plains Research (2001).
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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 Montana's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Montana's state juvenile justice specialist:
Allen C. Horsfall
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Montana Board of Crime Control
303 North Roberts, 4th Floor
Helena, MT 59620
Phone: (406) 444-3651
Fax: (406) 444-4722
Email: ahorsfall@state.mt.us
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