The five states referred to in the title are: Arizona, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, and Oregon.

An edited volume, Race and Juvenile Justice offers a collection of readings that examines race and the juvenile justice system in a historical and social context. Part I of the volume is dedicated to each of the American racial /ethnic groups (African-American, Asian-American, Latino-American, Native-American, and White-American). These readings present the complexities of juvenile justice issues as they relate to each prospective group. Part II of the volume presents articles on Disproportionate Minority Confinement, the history of race in juvenile justice, gangs, the role of domestic violence in juvenile justice, and juveniles and the death penalty. The volume concludes with an article that examines delinquency prevention and intervention strategies.

In Our Children, Their Children, a prominent team of researchers argues that a second-rate and increasingly punitive juvenile justice system is allowed to persist because most people believe it is designed for children in other ethnic and socioeconomic groups. While public opinion, laws, and social policies that convey distinctions between "our children" and "their children" may seem to conflict with the American ideal of blind justice, they are hardly at odds with patterns of group differentiation and inequality that have characterized much of American history. Our Children, Their Children provides a state-of-the-science examination of racial and ethnic disparities in the American juvenile justice system. Here, contributors document the precise magnitude of these disparities, seek to determine their causes, and propose potential solutions. In addition to race and ethnicity, contributors also look at the effects on juvenile justice of suburban sprawl, the impact of family and neighborhood, bias in postarrest decisions, and mental health issues. Assessing the implications of these differences for public policy initiatives and legal reforms, this volume is the first critical summary of what is known and unknown in this important area of social research.

In Disproportionate Minority Contact, Parsons-Pollard provides a broad look at DMC and the complexities of attempting to reduce its impact. This edited volume features the writings of prominent scholars and practitioners in the field who provide a well-organized and wide-ranging review of the literature, case studies, and current policies and practices impacting disparate treatment in the criminal justice system. "Parsons-Pollard has assembled a team of contributors who are experts in the subject matter--disproportionate minority contact. She and her colleagues plow into the issues, providing a rich, provocative, well-written, issues-driven text that presents ample material for many courses, including special topics and senior seminars. The importance of the topic, the caliber of the contributors, and the quality of the writing makes this text a must-read for those currently in the field and anyone else who has an interest in criminal justice." -- Laura Moriarty, Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University "Parsons-Pollard and the authors of Disproportionate Minority Contact have made a major contribution to academicians, policy makers, practitioners and community members involved in eforts to reduce the disproportionate representation of youth in the juvenile justice system. They do this in part through the exploration of the research in this area, including the complexities of the Relative Rate Index and analysis of the impact of decision points on disparate treatment and the overall rate of disproportionality. Their investigation, however, does not end there. They lift up the need for the collection of data that will inform this work at the local level and the need for transparency in sharing and analyzing it. Further, they examine the relationship of school policies and the disproportionate representation of children of color in the child welfare system and the need for a cross systems approach to successfully reduce rates of disproportionate minority contact. The picture painted in this thoughtful treatment is one of hope, but also one filled with great challenges; that there are no easy answers or "low hanging fruit" as we work in this area. The authors make clear, however, that our efforts are absolutely essential in ensuring fairness, equity and full opportunity for youth of color in our society. They are to be commended for shining this bright, illuminating light on such an important social issue." -- Shay Bilchik, Founder and Director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University Public Policy Institute "I know of no other source of information on disproportionality in criminal and juvenile justice that is as comprehensive or thorough as this book. It will immediately become the definitive authority on the subject." -- Judge Jerrauld C. Jones, Norfolk Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit of Virginia "[Disproportionate Minority Contact] should be an adopted book for 21st century juvenile and criminal justice courses and integrated into course curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate level ... By reading the book, juvenile and criminal justice students will learn how their role as citizens and professionals can impact DMC [disproportionate minority contact]." -- ACJS Today A teacher's manual is available electronically on a CD or via email. Please contact Beth Hall at [email protected] to request a copy.