WASHINGTON
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: Washington
- Washington has an estimated minority youth population of 22%.
- Overrepresentation increases for minorities at the detention stage and more than doubles for to commitment to juvenile corrections.
- In 1999, minority youth represented approximately 30% of the youth held in detention (12% was African-American, 5% was Native American, 3% was Asian/Pacific Islander, and 10% was Hispanic).
- Although African-American youth comprise approximately 4% of the population, they were confined in state correctional institutions almost five times their proportion of the general population in 1999.
Source: 2000 Juvenile Justice Report. 2000. Office of 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 Washington's state plan to address disproportionate minority confinement, contact Washington's state juvenile justice specialist:
Rosalie McHale
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Office of Juvenile Justice
3704 Griffin Lane, SE, Suite 102
P.O. Box 45203
Lacey, WA 98504-5203
Phone: (360) 407-0148
Fax: (360) 407-0152
Email: mchalra@dshs.wa.gov
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