Youth Forums, DMC and Ohio

The MacArthur Foundation introduced an additional funding application in which four more states will receive funding for Disproportionate Minority Confinement Action Network. Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC) is the over representation of minority youth in the juvenile justice system. A racial composition report completed in 2006 highlighted the fact that the majority of youth committed to the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) are minority, 53% in 2005, increased to 61% in 2006. As pointed out in a 2005 evaluation of RECLAIM Ohio, a report conducted by the University of Cincinnati showed a significantly higher percentage of minority youth were committed to the ODYS than were in RECLAIM-funded community programs or community corrections facilities (one-quarter).

The purpose of the MacArthur Foundation DMC Action Initiative is to reduce DMC, with a goal of modeling practices that can be adopted statewide and nationally. A key criterion for selection of the additional states or local sites is that the jurisdiction has already achieved measurable success in reducing over representation of racial or ethnic disparities affecting youth of color in the juvenile justice system, or in adopting measures that reduce the entry of penetration of youth of color into the system. The success may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, such as actually reducing the index of over representation at one or more key decision points in the system, developing a new data system that collects information on race and ethnicity of youth, adopting a Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI) to reduce the number of subjective detention or commitment to prevent youth of color from being unnecessarily incarcerated, or creating new culturally competent community-based programs for youth of color. Participation in the DMC Action Network will bring significant benefits to the new sites, one of which, funding up to $100,000 per year for up to three years to support DMC reduction efforts.

Voices' Juvenile Justice Initiative workgroup is committed to working with state agencies and counties to serve as the advocacy group component of the application process for Ohio by conducting county specific Youth Forums adopting “The Reading, PA Disproportionate Minority Youth – Law Enforcement Youth Forums” model. The Juvenile Justice Initiative will convene an unspecified number of youth forums beginning September 2007 through May 2008, in the predominantly African American communities of Toledo, Lima. Akron, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Dayton, Columbus and Canton. The communities have been pre-selected based on high number of DMC and UMADAOP based initiatives. The sessions will capture meaningful dialogue on the causes and solutions relating to the disproportionate minority contact and confinement of juveniles in Ohio. All minority youth, law enforcement officials, community leaders and sponsors, church congregations, local elected officials and parents/guardians will be invited to attend and participate in various workshops and panel discussions.

The youth forums will give participants an opportunity to engage in workshops, panel discussions and activities to dispel myths and challenge beliefs relating to minority youth versus the community. The focus group technique is to examine processes, attitudes and actions of key groups that will help us to understand what can lead to disproportionate minority confinement of youth. The design is a qualitative research study utilizing focus groups to collect the data. The study will identify actions/ behaviors/ procedures that increase the probability that a minority youth will be involved formally in the juvenile justice system; as well as those that decrease that probability.

All sessions will include expert facilitators providing specific related presentations for parents/guardians, youth, community members and law enforcement officials focusing on the outlined objectives. Additionally, there will be opportunities for cross education and learning particularly for youth and law enforcement officials.

The forums will be co-planned and facilitated with Dr. Morris Jenkins of the University of Toledo, Professor of Criminal Justice and member of the Juvenile Justice Initiative workgroup. The forums will address the following objectives:

• Raise awareness of DMC status in Ohio.
• Encourage and facilitate dialogue.
• Developing conflict resolutions skills for youth and the community.
• Enhance youth to law enforcement relations.
• Examining culture differences, ideologies and traditions.
• Understanding adolescent and brain development of juveniles.

For more information, please contact Yvonne C. Hunnicutt, Voices at 216.952.7891 or yhunnicutt@vfc-oh.org.