Disproportionate Minority Contact

• NCJ Number: 228306
• Date Published: October 2009
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP In Focus
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

This OJJDP In Focus article presents information on the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) efforts to address the problem of disproportionate minority contact.

Abstract

In 1988, Congress reauthorized the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDP Act) of 1974. The amendments passed by Congress authorized the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to require States participating in the Formula Grants program to address the issue of disproportionate minority contact (DMC) in their State juvenile justice and delinquency prevention plans. In 1992, effort to address DMC became a core requirement of the program and 25 percent of grant funds were tied to States' compliance with the programs goals. This fact sheet presents information on determining States' compliance with the DMC core requirement and a description of OJJDP's five-phase DMC reduction model. The five phases of the model include identification, assessment/diagnosis, intervention, evaluation, and monitoring. A summary of States' DMC-reduction activities is also included along with a link to obtain more information on OJJDP's efforts to reduce DMC.