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Disproportionate
minority contact

Connecticut’s DMC studies

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The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee has commissioned three major studies to determine if DMC exists in Connecticut’s juvenile justice system and, if so, to pinpoint where in the system DMC is occurring. The most recent study by the independent research firm Spectrum Associates Market Research is available for download below.

teacher and studentsThe study shows that DMC exists at specific decision points, where the state can now address its efforts. Researchers controlled for factors that might influence how a juvenile is handled, including the nature of the offense or the type of community where a youth lives. The data show that minority youth are over-represented and experience harsher treatment. This is true even when minority and White youth commit similar offenses.

Acrobat Reader is required to view the following documents. If you cannot view it, please contact our office.

A Second Reassessment of Disproportionate Minority Contact in Connecticut’s Juvenile Justice System
May 2009 (75 pages; file size: 820 KB)

Also available is a 2015 practitioners’ survey by Spectrum Associates.

2015 Survey to Measure the Awareness of Disproportionate Minority Contact Among Juvenile Justice System Practitioners
September 2015 (83 pages; file size: 1.6 MB)