DMC Factsheet: Utah

TEXAS

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: Texas

Texas has an estimated minority youth population of 53%.
In 1997, minority youth comprised 78% of commitments to public facilities and 77% of detention placements.
Statewide, 155 White youth were in residential placement on October 29, 1997, for every 100,000 youths in the population compared to 853 African-American youth, 383 Hispanic, 203 American Indian, and 94 Asian youth.
A national study of transfer of youth to adult criminal courts showed that in Harris County, 83% of cases filed in adult courts involved minority youth.

Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999) 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 Texas's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Texas's state juvenile justice specialist:

Glenn Brooks
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Office of the Governor
Criminal Justice Division, Box 12428
Insurance Building, Room 224
Austin, TX 78711
Phone: (512) 463-1944
Fax: (512) 475-2440

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