DMC Factsheet: New York

NEW YORK

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 York

New York has an estimated minority youth population of 41%.
In 1997, minority youth accounted for 87% of commitments to public facilities and 81% of detention placements.
A 1997 county-studies showed that in New York City, African-Americans and Hispanics were held in secure detention following their initial appearance in court 1.4 times as often as Whites.
A national study of the transfer of youth to adult criminal courts showed that New York's three largest counties (Bronx, Queens and New York) each filed 94% or more cases in adult courts involving minority youth.

Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999); State of New York Three-Year Comprehensive State Plan for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Federal Formula Grant Program. 2000-2002. Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice; and Youth Crime/Adult Time: Is Justice Served? Building Blocks for Youth (2000).

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

Anne Cadwallader Division of Criminal Justice Services 4 Tower Place Albany, NY 12203-3702 Phone: 518/485-7919 Email: anne.cadwallader@dcjs.state.ny.us

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