Peeling Back the Data “Onion”

Presented by Karen Tucker, Union County DMC Project Coordinator

BI Level One Key Data Points

• Referrals to Juvenile Court– Includes Top 10 Offenses, Time of Offense,

Race/Ethnicity and Gender

• Referrals to Detention– Includes Race/Ethnicity and Gender, Top 10

Offenses, Referral Source

• Admissions to Detention– Includes ALOS, Top 10 admission reasons,

Geographic Areas, etc.

The Onion Layers of Detention

• Use your BI Level One Data to generate questions

• Make charts of the data that is easily accessible – It will make it easier to see trends

• Ask the tough questions of the trends – and dig deeper to find the answers

The First Layer of the Detention Onion – BI Level One Data

Questions Raised from BI Level One Data

Start with the easy Questions…

1.What are the original charges of the youth being sent to detention?2.What are the charges for the detention admission?

Original Charges - *These are NOT the detaining charges

Things to note…

• All of the top original charges were misdemeanors

• The top original charge was undisciplined/ungovernable – status offense

Detaining Offenses

New Questions Raised…

• What violations occurred for the youth to be detained?

• How serious were the violations?• How do the violations of probation differ for

youth of color?

Actual Reasons Listed for Violations of Probation Detention Admission Reasons 2008

*Data were obtained from NC JOIN and Case Files and are current as of January 21, 2009*

ALL MINOR VIOLATIONS!!!!

What did we learn?

• Minority youth were more likely to be detained for a violation of probation

53% of detention admissions for VOPs were minority youth

• All of the probation violations for detained youth were minor violations…

Finding Solutions to the “Layers” of the Onion

What can we do to prevent these youth from being placed in detention for a violation of probation?

Graduated Sanctions for Violations of Probation Grid– Reduced detention admissions for violations of

probation by 67% overall and by 50% for all minorities in the first quarter of using the grid

The next layer…

• While we had a 50% reduction in the minority detention admission rate, minorities continue to make up 60% of the detention admissions

How can we peel back the data even more?

• With nine months of using the sanctions grid, we are in the process of gathering all data on the use of the grid– How often was the grid used for youth of color vs.

white youth?• Are there disparate numbers in the usage of the grid?

– Are there specific sanctions that are unfair to youth of color?

– Are the sanctions appropriate and effective?

Things to remember

1. Let your data guide your thought process2. Ask the tough questions and know that some

people may not want them answered…3. If you can not find the answers to your

questions, find the information holder…4. Keep eating away at the layers…

Just a thought…Are the outer layers or the core more

interesting?

Contact Information• Karen Tucker, Union County DMC Project

Coordinator– uniondmc@hotmail.com– 704-562-3138