- MEMBERSHIP
- About Us
- Donate
- Our Work
- COVID-19
- Homelessness
- Girls in the Juvenile Justice System
- LGBTQ Youth
- The National Standards
- Introduction
- Acknowledgments
- Endorsements
- What People Are Saying about the National Standards
- Key Principles
- Section 1. Principles for Responding to Status Offenses
- Section 2. Efforts to Avoid Court Involvement
- Section 3. Efforts to Limit Court Involvement
- Section 4. Recommendations for Policy and Legislative Implementation
- Section 5. Definitions
- Improving Responses to Youth Charged with Status Offenses: A Training Curriculum
- Member Engagement
- National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition
- Police and Youth Relations
- Public Safety Performance Project
- Youth Engagement
- Probation Reform Project
- Federal Policy
- Events
- News & Resources
Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Under the JJDPA, states are required to assess and address racial and ethnic disparities at key points in the juvenile justice system – from arrest to detention to confinement. Studies indicate that youth of color receive tougher sentences and are more likely to be incarcerated than white youth for the same offenses. With youth of color comprising one-third of the youth population but two-thirds of youth in contact with the juvenile justice system, this provision requires states and local jurisdictions to create action plans to address disparities within their systems. Learn more in Act4JJ's Racial and Ethnic Disparities Fact Sheet.