Disproportionate Minority Contact and Racism in the US: How We Failed Children of Color

Description

This book addresses the issue of colour-blind racism through an examination of the circular logic used by the juvenile justice system to criminalise non-White youth. Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC), refers to the proportional overrepresentation of minority youth at each step of the juvenile justice system. Drawing on original data, including interviews with court and probation officer and juvenile self-reports, the authors call for a need to understand racial and ethnic inequality in the juvenile justice system from a structural perspective rather than simply at the level of individual bias. This unique research will contribute to larger discussions on how race operates in the United States.

Paul R. Ketchum is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Oklahoma. B. Mitchell Peck is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma.

"This is a necessary read for anyone interested in how race intersects with the criminal justice system. The book fills a need by providing justification for changes in social policy that many seek." John D. Carl, University of Oklahoma "An in-depth look at DMC in Oklahoma using various types of methods which all seem to be pointing to the same thing: non-White youth are much like White youth, yet they receive differential treatment based on historical patterns that persist today and continue to perplex communities across the US." Carlos E. Posadas, New Mexico State University