Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)

DMC stands for Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC), which refers to the disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2002 broadened the scope of the DMC initiative from "disproportionate minority confinement" to "disproportionate minority contact," requiring an examination of potential disproportionate representation at all decision points within the juvenile justice continuum and implementation of data-based prevention and system improvement efforts to reduce identified disproportionality. For further information, visit the DMC Web page.

What is Relative Rate Index (RRI)?

The Relative Rate Index (RRI) provides a statistical representation of the Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) issue for Anne Arundel County and the State of Maryland. The RRI compares the rate of occurrence for white youth to the rate of occurrence for all minority youth. If the RRI is 1.00, then the rate of occurrence for white youth is similar to the rate of occurrence for all minority youth. If the RRI is greater than 1.00, then the rate of occurrence for minority youth is higher than the rate of occurrence for white youth. If the RRI is less than 1.00, then the rate of occurrence for white youth is higher than the rate of occurrence for minority youth.

Chart 1. Relative Rate Index (RRI) for Anne Arundel County (2005 - 2008)

The above calculations are based on arrests as reported by the Maryland State Police and state population data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

The Relative Rate Index (RRI) report (Chart 1) compares the arrest rate of White youth to that of Black youth from 2005 to 2008.  Results of the report indicate that on average, Black youth (ages 10-17 years old) are well over three times more likely to be arrested than their White counterparts. Although Black youth represent on average 19% of the total youth population of Anne Arundel County, they represent 44% of those being arrested.  To learn more about the process of calculating RRI, please visit the below link:

Implementing the Relative Rate Index Calculation: A Step-by-Step Approach to Identifying Disproportionate Minority Contact within the Juvenile Justice System 

Anne Arundel County Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Committee

The goal of the Anne Arundel County Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Committee is to ensure that all youth of Anne Arundel County be treated with fairness and equality.  Our charge as a Committee is a not place blame on any particular system, but rather begin to analyze data to determine the mechanisms that contribute to the overrepresentation of minorities in the juvenile justices system and implement effect strategies that would impact those mechanisms.  We are comprised of various stakeholders that work in the capacity to impact the lives of young people of Anne Arundel County.  As stakeholders, it is our duty to promote the well being of all of our citizens, no matter what race, creed or color. 

DMC Committee - Membership

Gregory Torain
DMC Coordinator         
Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth and Families

Ariane Odom            
DMC Chair                        
Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency

Judge Philip Caroom  
Circuit Court Judge              
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court

Ellen Goodman-Duffy 
Public Defender                         
Anne Arundel County - Office of the Public Defenders

Johnelka Stafford       
Minority Affairs & Human Relations
Office of the County Executive John R. Leopold

Rick Anthony             
Special Assistant to the County Executive
Office of County Executive John R. Leopold

Samuel (Ben) Pope     
Asst. Regional Director          
Dept. of Juvenile Services – Glen Burnie

Vincent Taylor         
Supervisor                        
Department of Juvenile Services - Annapolis

Kate Weisiger           
DJS Resource Coordinator      
Department of Juvenile Services - Annapolis

TJ Smith                         
Sergeant                          
Anne Arundel County Police Department - Millersville MD

Debbie Tall      
Program Coordinator            
Anne Arundel County Police Department Juvenile/Victim Assistance Unit

Anne Shawkey         
Teen Court Coordinator         
Anne Arundel County Police Department –Brooklyn Park

Toni Jordan     
Community Safety Coordinator
Anne Arundel County Housing Authority

Ivan Leshinsky         
Executive Director        
Chesapeake Center for Youth Development

Sheryl Menenedez             
Executive Director        
Light of the World Family Ministries/RCDC

Archie Trader            
Program Manager         
Annapolis Stanton Center

Eric Elston         
Signature Program Facilitator 
Annapolis High School

Winston Calloway               
C-Safe Case Manager            
Department of Juvenile Services