VI. DISPROPORTIONATE MINORITY CONTACT
The term Disproportionate Minority Contact refers to the disproportionately high percentage of minorities in the criminal justice system in proportion to the general population. For example, rates of marijuana use by youth are similar across all racial and ethnic groups, but African-American youth, who make up 42% of Chicago’s youth population (ages 10-17), account for 79% of juvenile marijuana arrests in Chicago. Unfortunately, the disproportionate minority contact phenomenon is not limited to just marijuana arrests and spans across the entire criminal justice system.
How would you reduce or eliminate disproportionate minority contact in the Illinois justice system?
J.B. Pritzker Candidate Answers
To reduce and eliminate disproportionate minority contact, we must have a clear understanding of the breadth of the problem. We need to partner with local officials to collect and analyze data that can improve the justice system, provide support to evaluate local initiatives, and share best practices across the state. I also support increasing accountability between law enforcement and the communities they serve by making the Traffic and Pedestrian Stop Statistical Study permanent and incentivizing data collection for all stops no matter the result.