Juvenile Justice

Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)

About DMC

Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) exists when minority youth have a rate of contact with the juvenile justice system that is significantly higher from the rate of contact for white youth.  DMC occurs when the proportion of minority youth in a community is lower than the proportion of minority youth involved in the local juvenile justice system.

History of DMC

The purpose of the DMC Core Requirement: to ensure equal and fair treatment for every youth in the juvenile justice system, regardless of race and ethnicity.

Federal DMC Mandate

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2002 requires states that receive certain federal juvenile justice grant funds to use a portion of those funds to address DMC. 

DMC Training and Technical Assistance

Numerous governmental and private entities offer training and technical assistance to states and communities that are addressing DMC. 

DMC Publications

There is a growing body of information about how DMC is created and how it is being reduced. DMC studies and resources have been published and are available online.  DMC statistics are updated annually are also available online.

DMC Activities in Alaska

In 1994, the Alaska Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (AJJAC) convened a DMC Workgroup to begin addressing DMC in Alaska. 

DMC Rates in Alaska

The Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) calculates, monitors and analyzes DMC rates in Alaska for different juvenile justice decision points, minority groups and jurisdictions. 

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