The Disproportionate Minority Contact committee serves to address the root causes of disparities experienced by youth of color in the juvenile justice system.

We are committed to improving outcomes for young people in Johnson County with the goal of providing fair and equitable justice for all youth in our community. We advocate for minority youth by using our voices and resources to create pathways for young people to have less contact with the criminal justice system.

• Determination to alter aspects of the juvenile justice system that contribute to DMC
• An intentional focus at all decision points long-term for DMC reduction
• Quality data collection and utilization that informs meaningful discussions and decisions
• Respect for all voices and lived experiences

DMC is defined as the disproportionate number of minority youth who encounter the juvenile justice system. DMC efforts began in 2008 with the creation of the DMC Committee, a subcommittee of the Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board

Johnson County Department of Corrections began by collecting and analyzing data which guided local programming efforts.

In 2011, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative impacted the ability to detain youth in Juvenile Detention Centers. In 2016, JCDOC partnered with the Haywood Burns Institute and a Readiness Assessment Consultation was conducted.

As a result, an 18-month contract between BI and JCDOC was agreed upon. The goal is focusing on identified areas for the county to improve concerning DMC. 

• Local school districts  
• Law enforcement agencies
• Government/state agencies
• Child serving agencies
• Community members  

• Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity & Justice
• Johnson County Community Partnerships Assessment
• W. Haywood Burns Institute Impact Research in Kansas
• History of Youth of Color in the Justice System
• OCR Civil Rights Data Collection
• DMC My Resource Playbook
• DMC My Resource Playbook - Spanish