NEW HAMPSHIRE
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: New Hampshire
- New Hampshire has an estimated minority youth population of 4%.
- A recent one-day snapshot, conducted manually, of the clients at the Youth Development Center (YDC) revealed a minority overrepresentation of approximately 19% was found in the training school portion and a 15% overrepresentation in the detention center.
- The number of youth securely detained in the state's only detention facility for the period October 1998 through September 1999 was 379, 56 of whom were minority.
- The number of youth committed to the state's only training school for the period October 1998 through September 1999 was 114. 22 total of minority youth were committed: 8 African-American, 13 Hispanic, and one Asian Pacific youth.
Source: Three-Year Plan. 2000-2002. Division for Children, Youth, and Families: Department of Health and Human Services.
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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 New Hampshire's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact New Hampshire's state juvenile justice specialist:
Pam Sullivan
Juvenile Justice Specialist
DCYF
129 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-4724
Fax: (603) 271-4729
Email: psullivan@dhhs.state.nh.us
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