UTAH
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: Utah
- Utah has an estimated minority youth population of 11%.
- In 1999, minority youth made up 22% of arrests, 29% of admissions to secure detention facilities, and 33% of confinements in juvenile correctional facilities.
- A 2000 DMC study showed minority youth represented 22% of all arrests in Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake City - three of the largest cities in the state with significant minority populations.
- According to the study, African-American, Hispanic, and Native Americans were three to four times more likely than White youths to appear in detention hearings, to be placed in the custody of the Department of Youth Corrections, to be placed in Community Placements, and to be sentenced to Observation and Assessment.
Source: Minority Overrepresentation in the Utah Juvenile Justice System. University of Utah Social Research Institute (2000) and Three-Year Plan. 2000-2002. Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
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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 Utah's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Utah's state juvenile justice specialist:
Susan Burke
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice
101 State Capital
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Phone: (801) 538-1921
Fax: (801) 538-1024
Email: Sburke@gov.state.ut.us
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