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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Juvenile Justice System Biased, Report Concludes Minorities More Likely To Be Detained And Prosecuted

Associated Press

The state juvenile justice system should make changes in prosecution, detention and diversion programs to help “level the playing field” for minorities, a new report concludes.

The report, prepared by a panel of judges, prosecutors, court commissioners, child advocates and others, says youths of color aren’t getting a fair shake in the juvenile justice system.

The group found that minority youths in Washington are more likely than whites to be detained and prosecuted and less likely to be placed in diversion programs. This is true even when differences such as seriousness of the crimes are taken into account, the report said.

The report was released Thursday at a press conference at the King County Courthouse. Its findings and recommendations will be presented to the Legislature.

The report is the result of a year’s work by the Juvenile Justice Racial Disproportionality Work Group, co-chaired by King County Superior Court Judges Norma Huggins and Ricardo Martinez.

The group held monthly meetings, sponsored forums in Yakima, Tacoma and Seattle to gather public testimony, and met with juvenile offenders at Echo Glen Children’s Center.

It long has been known that minority youths are disproportionately found at all stages of the juvenile justice system. The group’s report was prepared in response to legislation enacted in 1993 to reduce this phenomenon. Under the mandate, the group was asked to review standards for prosecuting juvenile offenders as well as the disproportionality in court diversion programs and the use of detention facilities.

It found that minorities face a disadvantage in all three matters.

“It is the philosophy of the members of the work groups that all youth who are similarly situated, regardless of race or ethnicity, must be afforded equitable opportunities and consequences,” the report says.

It recommends, among other things, that all counties develop prosecutorial guidelines and standards; new approaches be implemented to boost the number of minority youths in diversion programs; and barriers to parent participation in the juvenile-justice system be reduced by providing such things as transportation and child-care help.

“The juvenile justice system cannot solve the problems of racial disproportionality alone. It must become more ‘family friendly’ and actively facilitate parental involvement in its processes,” the report says.

“In addition, the system must encourage more minority community participation in its programs and in decision and actions that adversely impact youth of color.”