Grants
Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)
Purpose of DMC Committee:
The Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Committee was created by the Council of Juvenile Services to monitor, research, and make recommendations to address DMC. As part of the work of the DMC Committee, local workgroups were formed in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Sisseton.
Responsibilities of DMC Committee:
- The Committee as well as each local workgroup is in charge of the steps of the DMC process as follows:
- Identify the existence/extent of disproportionality through “between race” comparisons within jurisdictions and at specific decision points in the system
- Assess data about DMC to target detailed studies by identifying points of needed intervention, and allocate resources for system interventions
- Intervene to reduce DMC by assisting policymakers in choosing jurisdictions that should receive increased attention and intervention
- Evaluate how DMC responds to policy initiatives and system interventions
- Monitor trends in DMC within and across jurisdictions
Identification
In the first phase of the DMC process, the Department of Correction collected data to identify a baseline set of data to determine if a disproportionate number of minority youth were represented throughout the juvenile justice system. Based on the information collected in the initial identification in 2002, Black youth were found to disproportionately represented at the stages of arrest, detention, and petition and Native American youth were found to disproportionately represented at the stages of arrest, diversion, detention, petition, adjudication, probation, and secure placement.
Assessment
In the second phase of the DMC Process, the Department of Corrections contracted with researchers from Mountain Plains Research to conduct an assessment of DMC in order to assist the Council in identifying interventions that can reduce the occurrence of DMC.
Intervention
The South Dakota DMC Committee reviewed DMC information and assessment results to determine what strategies should be implemented on a statewide basis.
Based on the recommendations from the DMC Committee, the Council of Juvenile Services has adopted and has taken steps to begin implementation of the following statewide DMC intervention strategies:
- Implement data improvement projects in order to improve quantity and quality of the data currently available for the study of DMC.
- Disseminate the DMC information.
- Decrease the overrepresentation of Native American youth in South Dakota’s juvenile justice system by developing and implementing effective Native American culture awareness training and agency cultural assessment training for juvenile justice practitioners and service providers.
- Research the impact on raising the compulsory school attendance age from 16 years to 18 years.
- Increase collaboration with Native American Tribes and the state juvenile justice system in order to access services operated by tribal entities including temporary custody, diversion, and treatment services instead of relying solely on existing state operated or contracted programs.
- Create of a legal education program be implemented for parents. The focus of the program would be on the right and responsibilities, navigating the justice system, and parenting a juvenile that is involved with the juvenile justice system.
- Implement intervention locations in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Sisseton and continue to support the three local DMC Workgroups financially as well as through staff support.
The following is a list of projects which are currently funded under the local DMC Initiatives:
| Projects | Provider | Description | Project End Date |
Current Allocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | South Dakota Voices For Children | Minnehaha County DMC Advisory Group Coordination |
6/30/2010 |
$4,110.00 |
| Minnehaha County | Lutheran Social Services | Hocoka Diversion Program | 6/30/2010 | $54,000.00 |
| Minnehaha County | Great Plains Psychological Services | Positive Indian Parenting | 6/30/2010 | $1,800.00 |
| Pennington County | Society for the Advancement of Natives Interests Today (SANI-T) | Youth Risk Project and Local Coordination | 6/30/2010 | $54,816.00 |
| Roberts County | Sisseton School District | Project Respect/Mentoring | 6/30/2010 | $30,000.00 |
| Statewide | Individual Trainers | Cultural Training Program | 6/30/2010 | $30,000.00 |
| Statewide | Department of Corrections | Staff, Meetings & Travel | 6/30/2010 | $30,000.00 |
Total: |
$204,726.00 | |||
Evaluation
As part of the DMC process, each program submits performance measures and provides evaluation information in order to determine program effectiveness. This information is used to determine if future funding will be awarded as part of the DMC Initiative.
Monitoring
During the ongoing monitoring of the DMC process, the Department of Correction annually collects data to monitor the progress of the juvenile justice system in reducing minority over-representation throughout the system. Based on the information collected in the initial identification in 2004, Black youth were found to disproportionately represented at the stages of arrest and detention and Native American youth were found to disproportionately represented at the stages of arrest, diversion, detention, adjudication, probation, and secure placement.
2005 Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Report
2006 Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Report
2006 Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Summary
2007 Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Summary with CY2005 Data
2007 Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Summary with CY2006 Data
Links to additional information (Click on link to view)
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Disproportionate Minority Contact Website