Understanding Disproportionate Understanding Disproportionate Minority Contact in Forsyth CountyMinority Contact in Forsyth County

Forsyth County DMC Community BriefingForsyth County DMC Community Briefing

November, 2006November, 2006

Disproportionate Minority ContactDisproportionate Minority Contact(DMC) (DMC)

““the disproportionate number of juvenile the disproportionate number of juvenile members of ethnic minority groups who come members of ethnic minority groups who come into contact with the juvenile justice systeminto contact with the juvenile justice system””

-Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act 2002-Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act 2002

DMC in North CarolinaDMC in North Carolina

In partnership with the North Carolina In partnership with the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, four Governor’s Crime Commission, four

demonstration counties were selected to demonstration counties were selected to address DMC:address DMC:

Forsyth, Guilford, Union, and New HanoverForsyth, Guilford, Union, and New Hanover

The ProcessThe Process

1.1. Identify the extent of DMC in each countyIdentify the extent of DMC in each county

2.2. Assess contributing factors to the problemAssess contributing factors to the problem

3.3. Develop and implement strategic Develop and implement strategic interventions to reduce DMCinterventions to reduce DMC

4.4. Evaluate the effectiveness of these Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies strategies

Study DesignStudy Design

Aggregate AnalysisAggregate Analysis

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolsWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem Police DepartmentWinston-Salem Police Department Forsyth County Juvenile JusticeForsyth County Juvenile Justice

Sample AnalysisSample Analysis

Forsyth County Juvenile JusticeForsyth County Juvenile Justice Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolsWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Department of Social ServicesDepartment of Social Services CenterPoint - Mental HealthCenterPoint - Mental Health

Study DesignStudy Design

Incidence Rate (IR)Incidence Rate (IR)

A percentage that represents the number of A percentage that represents the number of incidents for each ethnic category divided incidents for each ethnic category divided by the total number of youth for that ethnic by the total number of youth for that ethnic

category, multiplied by 100.category, multiplied by 100.

Relative Rate Index (RRI) Relative Rate Index (RRI)

A ratio of the incidence rate for an ethnic A ratio of the incidence rate for an ethnic minority group to the incidence rate for minority group to the incidence rate for

white youth. white youth.

Aggregate AnalysisAggregate Analysis

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolsWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools2003-2004 Suspensions2003-2004 Suspensions

Student Population by ethnicity

51%49%White

Minority

Suspensions by ethnicity

24%

76%

23.7% of suspensions were received by white youth. 76.3% of suspensions were received by minority youth.

RRI – 3.2

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolsWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools2004-2005 Suspensions2004-2005 Suspensions

Student Population by ethnicity

49%51%

White

Minority

Suspensions by ethnicity

80%

20%

19.8% of Suspensions were received by white youth. 81% of suspensions were received by

minority youth.

RRI – 3.9

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools 2003-2004 and 2004- 20052003-2004 and 2004- 2005

Out of School Suspensions by ethnicityOut of School Suspensions by ethnicity

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

WhiteElementary

WhiteMiddle

White HighSchool

MinorityElementary

MinorityMiddle

MinorityHigh School

2003-04

2004-05

Although OSS decreased overall in 2004- 2005 from the previous year, minority students received more OSS than white students

both years in all grade levels.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools 2003-2004 and 2004-20052003-2004 and 2004-2005

Out of School Suspensions by ethnicity and genderOut of School Suspensions by ethnicity and gender

RRI-OSS ComparisonsRRI-OSS Comparisons

Elementary Middle High Male Female Male Female Male Female

2003-04 5.0 7.9 3.4 6.2 3.6 5.1

2004-05 4.1 7.5 5.4 6.9 5.1 6.0

Minority students were between 3.4 and 7.9 times as

likely to be suspended during these two years.

Winston-Salem Police Department Juvenile Winston-Salem Police Department Juvenile Arrest Complaints*Arrest Complaints*

July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004 andJuly 1, 2003-June 30, 2004 and

July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005 July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005

81

271

77

287

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2003-2004 2004-2005

White

Minority

Minority youth account for between 77% and 78.9% Minority youth account for between 77% and 78.9% of all juveniles with arrest charges.of all juveniles with arrest charges.

* Ages 6-15

Winston-Salem Police Department Juveniles Winston-Salem Police Department Juveniles With Arrest Complaints* With Arrest Complaints* 2003-2004 Arrest Charges2003-2004 Arrest Charges

Juveniles with arrest charges by ethnicity

23%

77%

Minority youth were 6 times as likely to have arrest Minority youth were 6 times as likely to have arrest charges than white youth.charges than white youth.

Juvenile population by ethnicity

64%

36% WhiteMinority

* Ages 6-15

Winston-Salem Police Department Juvenile Winston-Salem Police Department Juvenile With Arrest Complaints* With Arrest Complaints* 2004-2005 Arrest Charges2004-2005 Arrest Charges

Juveniles with arrest charges by ethnicity

21%

79%

Minority youth were 5 times as likely to have arrest Minority youth were 5 times as likely to have arrest charges than white youth.charges than white youth.

Juvenile population by ethnicity

58%42%

WhiteMinority

* Ages 6-15

Forsyth County DJJDP Forsyth County DJJDP Referrals 2004 - 2005*Referrals 2004 - 2005*

879

103

410

918

107

319

0100200300400500600700800900

1000

2004 referrals 2005 referrals

BlackLatinoWhite

*ages 10- 17

61%61%

7%7%

29%29%

68%68%

8%8%

23%23%

Forsyth County DJJDP Forsyth County DJJDP Complaints 2004 - 2005*Complaints 2004 - 2005*

586

58

253

576

68

213

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2004 complaints 2005 complaints

BlackLatinoWhite

*ages 10- 17

64%64%

6%6%

28%28%

8%8%

66%66%

24%24%

Forsyth County DJJDP Referrals Forsyth County DJJDP Referrals and Complaints 2004 - 2005*and Complaints 2004 - 2005*

For each year, minority referrals and complaints represent more than 1.75 times their percentage population in

the county (42% - 44%).

*ages 10- 17

Forsyth County DJJDP Forsyth County DJJDP Referrals & Complaints Referrals & Complaints

2004 - 20052004 - 2005

For both years, minority youth are more than four times as likely as white youth to be referred to juvenile court or

to have a complaint filed with juvenile court as white youth, but they are almost equally likely to have

complaints approved or not approved as white youth.

Relative Rate Index ComparisonsRelative Rate Index ComparisonsCategory 2004 2005

1. Juvenile Referrals 4.55 4.20

2. Juvenile Complaints 4.29 4.37

3. Approved Complaints .94 .96

4. Complaints Not Approved 1.15 1.06

Random Sample AnalysisRandom Sample Analysis

Forsyth County Juvenile Justice Forsyth County Juvenile Justice and Adjudicationand Adjudication

RRI comparisons of juvenile justice disposition decisions suggest greater applications of equitable standards across race.

Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County School Absences and Drop OutsSchool Absences and Drop Outs

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

Truant Notenrolled

Droppedout

No record

White

Minority

50% of the white youth and 41% of the minority youth sampled had been truant. Minority and white youth were equally likely not to be enrolled or to have no record. All youth who had dropped out were

African-American (7 youth).

Child Protection and Social Child Protection and Social AssistanceAssistance

42%

71%

41.6%43.4%

29%

42.1%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

FS/ PA CWS Both

Food Stamps, Public Assistance, and Child Welfare Services

White

Minority

Minority youth were 1.71 times as likely to have received food stamps or public assistance than white youth, equally likely to have

received both, and 1.45 times as likely to have received both in addition to child welfare services.

Mental HealthMental Health

Ethnicity # of youth Percentage ofPopulation

RRI

White 6 25%

African American 15 22.1% .88

Native American 1 100% n/a

Multi Race 1 100% n/a

TOTAL 23 23%

23 of the 100 youth had active case files with mental health services. The RRI comparison indicates little disparity between

ethnicities.

National Scan of DMC Best National Scan of DMC Best PracticesPractices

Strategies for SuccessStrategies for Success

1. Forming successful collaboratives comprised of committed policy makers and effective collaborative management to commit to the DMC Committees;

2. Routine, uniform data collection;

3. Agency commitment of personnel toward DMC Committee participation and related issues;

4. Effective evaluation of intervention programming.

ConclusionsConclusions

1. DMC is most prevalent in school system and within law enforcement juvenile contacts.

2. DMC is less of an issue with juvenile justice decision processes.

3. Further inquiry is required in order to draw conclusions about any trends or patterns of DMC in the systems of child welfare and protective services and mental health.

Conclusions (cont.)Conclusions (cont.)

4. Regardless of ethnicity, education, child welfare and mental health systemic processes are important to the positive outcomes for adjudicated youth.

5. Effectively reducing DMC will take committed policy makers, community members and agencies working together in a focused, data-driven process to ensure that appropriate interventions can be implemented and sustained.

For more information or a copy of the full report, please contact Forsyth Futures

at (336)724-2831 or tonya@forsythfutures.org, or go to

www.centerforcommunitysafety.org.