VIRGINIA
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: Virginia
- Virginia has an estimated minority youth population of 32%.
- In 1996, African-American youth comprised 77% of admissions to adult prisons in comparison to their proportion (23%) in the population.
- In 1997, minority comprised 64% of commitments to public facilities and 66% of detention placements.
- Statewide, 204 White youth were in residential placement on October 29, 1997 for every 100,000 youths in the population compared to 997 African-American youth, 335 Hispanic, 230 Native American, and 174 Asian youth.
- The Jury Is Out on Virginia's Juvenile Justice System
- New ABA report shows youth of color disproportionately impacted in Virginia
Source: Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (1999) And Justice for Some. National Council on Crime and Delinquency for Building Blocks for Youth (2000).
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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 Virginia's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Virginia's state juvenile justice specialist:
Rosemarie B. Bonacum
Juvenile Justice Specialist
VA Dept. Criminal Justice Services
805 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 786-0051
Fax: (804) 371-8981
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Building Blocks for Youth
For a fair and effective youth justice system
...a comprehensive effort to protect minority youth in the justice system
and to promote rational and effective juvenile justice policies...
