DMC Factsheet: Nebraska

NEBRASKA

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: Nebraska

Nebraska has an estimated minority youth population of 14%.
In 1997, minority youth made up 40% of commitments to public facilities and 44% of secure detention placements.
A 1999 DMC study showed in all four counties, minority youths were overrepresented in juvenile referrals, in pre-detention decisions, in petition decisions, and in secure confinement decisions.

Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999) and The Disproportionate Confinement of Minority Youth in Nebraska. Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (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 Nebraska's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Nebraska's state juvenile justice specialist:

Monica Miles
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Nebraska Crime Commission
PO Box 94946
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-3998
Fax: (402) 471-2837

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