Unpacking Disproportionate Minority Contact: Is There Evidence of Mediation Between Race and Juvenile Court Outcomes?

• In Event: The Ohio Disproportionate Minority Contact Assessment: Examining Emerging Topics

Abstract

It is clear that minority youths often face disparities in outcome at multiple stages of the juvenile justice process. At the same time, the underlying mechanisms for these observed differentials are less clear and may operate through complex, mediated relationships. This paper will use quantitative case record data from thirteen juvenile courts (N~20,000 cases) in a large, Midwestern state in order to examine the degree to which the relationship between race and court outcomes is mediated by information that emerges in the juvenile court process—such as risk assessment scores. We will also assess the degree to which race effects at later stages of the juvenile justice process are mediated by earlier decisions about pre-adjudication detention. The analysis will use path models with bootstrapping of mediators in order to arrive at the best possible estimates and appropriate tests of these effects. Implications for the juvenile justice system and DMC research will be discussed.

Authors

• Omeed Ilchi, University of Cincinnati

• Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati