Disproportionate Minority Contact: An Assessment across Jurisdictional Contexts

• In Event: Contemporary Issues in Disproportionate Minority Contact

Abstract

Prior research has documented that racial and ethnic minority youth are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system. In 2011, Black youth were 269% more likely to be arrested for minor law violations than were White youth. Although similar disparities exist for Hispanics, few studies have explored how and whether community context influences criminal justice outcomes among juvenile offenders. The purpose of this current study is to examine the influence of racial and ethnic community context on the disparate treatment of racial and ethnic youth in the Florida juvenile justice system. The results will provide important insights into the role of racial and ethnic community context in shaping crime and justice outcomes among juvenile minority offenders.

Authors

• Patricia Y. Warren, Florida State University

• Eric A. Stewart, Florida State University

• Jordyn L. Rosario, Florida State University