youth of color

Hold juvenile justice systems accountable to DMC (Disproportionate Minority Contact) regulations beyond funding cultural competency.
Set standards for addressing disparity/disproportionality with comprehensive interventions that address equity throughout each stage of youth involvement
Invest in community organizing as a central and focal point and build the capacity of parents and families as advocates

The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is one of the nation‚ most effective and influential models to advance juvenile justice system reform and reduce DMC. Tucson is the only county in the entire state of Arizona that is working to address Disproportionate Minority Contact. In 2005, Tucson County had 200 youth in a juvenile detention facility built for 360 youth. Today, as a result of implementing the JDAI model, Tucson County has reduced the number of detained youth to 94.

The Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act passed by Congress in 2002 required that States “address juvenile delinquency prevention efforts and system improvement efforts designed to reduce, without establishing or requiring numerical standards or quotas, the disproportionate number of juvenile members of minority groups, who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. (JJDP Act of 2002)

Jovenes Unidos found that youth of color in Denver are being pushed into jail cells instead of being put behind school desks. Nationwide, youth of color are targeted for more and harsher discipline than their white counterparts. Colorado students proposed solutions to their school boards and city council, including changing city policy, changing district policy, creating alternative discipline measures and a community oversight board.