Racial & Ethnic Disparity Committee

The Hartford Racial and Ethnic Disparity Committee (formerly referred to as the Disproportionate Minority Contact or DMC Committee), co-chaired by the Center for Children’s Advocacy and the City of Hartford Department of Children, Youth, Families & Recreation, was initially convened by 2011 by the Center with the national Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) using Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Action Network of the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative.

The Committee’s goal is to engage state, municipal and community actors working with youth in the juvenile justice system to track the disproportionate involvement of youth of color in that system and to identify areas for tracking, advocacy and reform.

The Committee has been instrumental in substantially reducing the school based arrests of youth in Hartford, including a reduction in those arrests for offenses like breach of peace or disorderly conduct, establishing protocols for the schools, police and collaborating police departments to refer eligible Hartford youth to the Juvenile Review Board and reducing the detention admissions of youth of color in Hartford, among other successes.

Committee meetings are held at Parker Memorial Community Center in Hartford. Look for upcoming quarterly meeting dates, agendas, and supporting documents on this web page.