Abstract
In Disproportionate Minority Contact: Current Issues and Policies, editor Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, sheds light on an important but all too often overlooked issue facing the United States-that is the issue of Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) in the criminal justice system, where racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the general population but when it comes to contact with the criminal justice system, they are overrepresented. And while the notion of DMC is not new, Parsons-Pollard and the other contributors provide new information that explains how disproportionate minority contact came to be. In doing so, Disproportionate Minority Contact will satisfy readers already familiar with DMC by providing important historical and political information, while also conveying this information in an easy-to-read format for those without prior knowledge of the subject. This comprehensive overview makes it an ideal classroom text for both undergraduate and graduate students studying systemic racism in the criminal justice system.
With contributions from policymakers, practitioners, and academics from both criminology and criminal justice, this volume offers a unique and interdisciplinary perspective on DMC by highlighting different programs across the U.S. aimed at reducing disproportionate minority conduct. Given the recent unarmed shootings of Blacks by law enforcement in the U.S., the information in Disproportionate Minority Contact is needed now more than ever, particularly because Parsons-Pollard and the other contributors demonstrate how DMC is not an “individual” issue but rather one that is “systemic” affecting a number of systems, including but certainly not limited to the educational system and child welfare system, as well as Black and Brown communities.
Ashley Nellis sets the stage by providing important background information and arguing that one cannot examine DMC in the criminal justice system without also considering the role that the schools play in “pushing out” racial and ethnic minorities thereby funneling them into the juvenile justice system and ultimately the criminal justice system.
Parsons-Pollard continues the conversation by examining the historical origins and contemporary perspectives of a national DMC mandate, as outlined in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. Parsons-Pollard’s analysis centers on the four requirements of the Act and how jurisdictions have responded, arguing that most jurisdictions have not been as successful in reducing DMC as they could have been. While this information is somewhat dry at points, it provides important details for those already familiar with DMC who are looking to further understand this national mandate.
And while conversations centered on methodology are also traditionally dry, William Feyerherm offers an enlightening discussion on methods by stating that a historical challenge of reducing DMC is that we don’t know the extent of DMC because jurisdictions use different measurements. Thus, Feyerherm offers data collection recommendations to jurisdictions and explores the relative rate index (RRI), a measurement that has been designed to alleviate these issues by putting standards in place.
In the next chapter, Michael Leiber, Jennifer H. Peck, and Myra Fields share insight from their quantitative study examining the “effects of race on intake decision-making in four jurisdictions [in Iowa] at two different points in time”—one prior to the DMC mandate, as explained in Parsons-Pollard’s chapter and the other one conducted after, as a means of considering the role of legal and extra-legal factors. Throughout their analysis, they focus on the consensus and conflict theories. And while readers unfamiliar with these theories may struggle a bit in the beginning because this chapter is heavily grounded in theory, Leiber et al.’s explanations of the theories make it easy to follow for first time readers.
Above all, what sets Disproportionate Minority Contact apart from other books centered on this subject, is that the information is also geared to practitioners. Mary Poulin Carlton, Stan Orchowsky, and Janice Iwama provide a hands-on guide for those working on the local level, as they share “lessons learned” from two states-Iowa and Virginia-following the implementation of the national DMC mandate. In doing so, Carlton et al. outlines recommendations for states, as they collect and analyze DMC data.
Marian S. Harris examines the relationship between DMC and the child welfare system by showing how children of color are disproportionately placed in child welfare services, in part because children of color are more likely to be impoverished thereby effectively placing a greater “target” on racial and ethnic minority families. This chapter reinforces the overarching argument of the book in that DMC does not occur in a vacuum but rather is systemic. Thus, any effort to reduce DMC must involve other systems, such as the child welfare system.
Cherie Dawson-Edwards, Nadia Nelson, and Katie Nuss offer another perspective by showing how school discipline plays a contributing factor when it comes to DMC because of the culmination of several policies and practices, including but certainly not limited to zero-tolerance policies and the placement of law enforcement officers in schools. Collectively, these policies and practices are known as the “school-to-prison pipeline.” Throughout this chapter, Dawson-Edwards et al. show how DMC is again a “systems” issue with multiple origins, including the educational system.
Ojmarrh Mitchell and Michael J. Lynch discuss the role race and ethnicity played in the War on Drugs arguing that the War on Drugs was actually a war on people and communities of color. And while the link between DMC and the War on Drugs isn’t necessarily new, Mitchell and Lynch show how the effects of the War on Drugs went beyond those who were immediately punished.
John David Reitzel offers a more contemporary perspective by discussing “the impact of law enforcement on persistent race-differentiated arrest rates” by focusing on the aftermath of the Ferguson, Missouri unrests in 2014. Reitzel’s analysis centers on a number of law enforcement practices, such as Terry stops, and the use of deadly force, which makes the book a compelling read for those who have followed the deadly shootings of unarmed Blacks across the U.S.
Amy Kyle Cook, Shana Mell, and William V. Pelfrey, Jr. continue the conversation by focusing their analysis on the use of body-worn cameras and show how cameras might contribute to police legitimacy and trust. This chapter in particular will appeal to those seeking more information, in the wake of officer-involved shootings of unarmed Blacks in the U.S.
George Wilson, Bryan Lagae, and Alex R. Piquero take the issue a step further by discussing how DMC not only affects Black communities but also Hispanic communities, an important conversation that all too often falls under the radar. Using data from the 2011 and 2013 National Election Study, they examine the issue of crime control to show how DMC also affects other disadvantaged communities.
Isis N. Walton and Shanieka S. Jones focus on a consequence of mass incarceration known as the “prison-industrial complex,” where a number of industries, including the owners of private prisons, have financial incentive in ensuring prison beds remain full. In doing so, Walton and Jones show how mass incarceration is a “big business.”
Throughout the text, it becomes apparent that there are a number of collateral consequences to DMC. Dawson-Edwards discusses yet another consequence of DMC by examining how communities of color are politically disempowered, as they are all too often overlooked in the political process. And as election season draws closer, this chapter provides important points to reflect on and consider, as Dawson-Edward explains how DMC is a political issue.
Parsons-Pollard ends the volume with recommendations for practitioners in both the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. Parsons-Pollard will leave readers feeling energized to engage in community partnerships focused on local organizing.
As a whole, both scholars, practitioners, undergraduate and graduate students of criminology, criminal justice, ethnic studies, public policy, and education and a number of other related fields will leave with a greater understanding of the various causes of DMC, as well as concrete recommendations and next steps to create change and ultimately reduce DMC, making Disproportionate Minority Contact a unique and certainly timely contribution to the field.
