Disproportionate Experiences in Custody? An Examination of Disproportionality in Minority Youth Experiences Confined in Secure Facilities

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

Abstract

The issue of disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system is the focus of a great deal of research. Much of the research in this area has examined disproportionality in arrests, various decision points within the court process, and the secure confinement disposition. There has been less focus on whether minority youth have different experiences while confined in secure placement facilities. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in juvenile justice research by examining the experiences of a random sample of 1,514 youth confined in secure facilities in one Midwestern state. We use multivariate models to analyze whether there are differences in length of stay, seclusion time, disciplinary infractions, proportion of time absent from education services, and treatment contact between white and non-white youth – controlling for various demographic characteristics and legal factors. The discussion will address the connection between in-facility experiences and long-term consequences for youth who have experienced secure confinement. More specifically, disproportionality in the experiences of minority youth while in secure confinement can potentially extend to later life outcomes, compounding earlier disadvantages.

Authors

• Derek John Mueller, University of Cincinnati

• Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati

• John Wooldredge, University of Cincinnati