NEW JERSEY
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 Jersey
- New Jersey has an estimated African-American youth population of 19% and 14% of Hispanic youth population.
- In 1999, African-American and Hispanic youth accounted for 86% of the youth in secure correctional facilities.
- In 1999, African-American youth accounted for 60% of youth held in secure county juvenile detention centers and 64% of the youth confined in secure juvenile correctional facilities.
- Hispanic youth accounted for 18% of youth held in secure county juvenile detention centers and 22% of the youth confined in secure juvenile correctional facilities in 1999.
Source: Three-Year OJJDP Plan. 2000-2002. Juvenile Justice Commission.
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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 Jersey's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact New Jersey's state juvenile justice specialist:
Terry L. Edwards
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Juvenile Justice Commission
JJDP Unit, P.O. Box 107
840 Bear Tavern Road
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: (609) 530-4748
Fax: (609) 530-2465
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