Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) refers to the disproportionate number of minority youth, compared to their proportion in the population, who come into contact with the juvenile justice system, (e.g., contact may refer to being held in detention or at arrest, referral to juvenile court, probation placement etc.).
According to updated U.S. Census data for 2006, minority youth in Iowa comprise approximately 11% of the total youth population ages 10-17.
State juvenile detention facility statistics identified African American youth as comprising nearly one-third (33%) of all youth held in juvenile detention facilities and other secure settings (e.g., the state training school in Eldora).
Latino and Native American youth are also overrepresented in Iowa’s juvenile justice system.
DMC exists in every state and nearly every point in the juvenile justice system. According to national reports in 2007, Iowa ranked highest in the nation for the percentage of Blacks in the adult prison system and for the proportion of Black students suspended from public schools. Besides juvenile justice systems and education systems, the minority youth also experience overrepresentation in our child welfare systems and those who experience negative health and healthcare outcomes.
