DMC Factsheet: Tennessee

TENNESSEE

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: Tennessee

Tennessee has an estimated African-American youth population of 20%.
In 1998, 76% of African-American youth were referred by law enforcement agencies compared to 66% for White youth.
African-American youth were overrepresented for confinement to secure facilities at nearly four times their representation in the youth population in 1998. White youths were never overrepresented in secure facilities.
African American youth were overrepresented for transfers to adult court at a rate two times their percentage of the youth population in 1998.

Source: Disproportionate Minority Confinement Data. Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (1998).

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

Deborah Stafford
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth
Andrew Johnson Tower, 9th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0800
Phone: (615) 532-1574
Fax: (615) 741-5956

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