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Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration |
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DSHS > JRA > Facts & Figures > Disproportionate Minority ConfinementDisproportionate Minority Confinement is a reality that is faced every day in both adult and juvenile correctional systems. On any given day youth of color account for approximately 45% of JRA's population. This is almost twice the proportion of youth of color in Washington State. Current DMC Reduction EffortsJuvenile courts in Washington are working hard on this problem. Cases in point are Pierce, King, Yakima, Spokane, and Whatcom Counties' involvement in the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and through the Governor's Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. These programs are very much supported by JRA. Community MobilizationJRA is committed to supplementing these programs and joining the endeavor to eradicate Disproportionate Minority Confinement by creating a Community Mobilization Initiative revolving around partnerships with communities committed to reducing the disproportional number of minority youth and children entering the juvenile justice system. JRA is planning Community Mobilization symposiums beginning in the Fall of 2006 to bring together youth and families from communities and neighborhoods most affected by Disproportionate Minority Confinement, minority community leaders, and national experts in the field of reducing Disproportionate Minority Confinement. Community Mobilization efforts to address this issue currently underway in other states will be examined and discussed for replication in Washington. But just as importantly, the symposiums will tap the wisdom of the community. We believe genuine solutions to Disproportionate Minority Confinement live in the communities it affects. We are committed to becoming partners with those communities to make Disproportionate Minority Confinement a thing of the past. The ultimate goal for these symposiums is to inspire community members to develop specific plans for reducing risk factors linked to DMC. In turn, JRA will provide funding and technical assistance for their planning efforts. Communities might, for example plan to tackle DMC through entrepreneurial activity that will engage youth in developing employment skills and equip them for achieving economic independence, or through after school activities that will involve youth in positive and creative behavior. Because communities differ, community based strategies will differ. Nevertheless, the desired outcome will be the same: less youth of color becoming entangled in the justice system.
For more information contact: Page last modified: September 27, 2007 |
