Feature

What “Sustainability” Means for Juvenile Justice Reform: Innovative Strategies to Make Reforms Last in the Disproportionate Minority Contact Action Network

When the MacArthur Foundation launched the Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Action Network in 2007, it claimed to build a network of state and local jurisdictions committed to addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system, exposing leaders and public officials to the latest tools and ideas to reduce the disparate treatment of youth of color.

Since then, twenty Network sites have expanded their capacity to collect and analyze data, worked to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in detention admissions and out-of-home placements, and created and strengthened community-based services. With much to celebrate, sites are now asking an important question: how can jurisdictions ensure that these innovations remain in place, particularly given the economic pressures that they continue to face in the wake of the recession?

Think sustainability.

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