By Catherine Roberts
Tulsa, Okla. – Almost 20 Tulsa-area individuals and agencies have joined a new effort to eliminate disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system.
At Central Library today, representatives signed a memorandum of understanding for the Tulsa County Disproportionate Minority Contact Reduction Initiative.
The agreement prescribes the collection of data about why DMC exists and the implementation of action plans to reduce it.
"This is an initiative to determine why children enter the criminal justice system, especially minorities," said Tim Harris, Tulsa County District Attorney, who was one of the signers. "We need to look at that ask the reasons why, and as a community come together and offer them the kinds of services, the kind of rehabilitation, and the accountability in punitive nature if necessary."
Data collection will be an important part of the initiative.
"Each agency that has signed on has committed to opening up their data resources to share with us, so that we can look at what their areas of influence are and use that data that they have to look at DMC issues," said Corinne Fiagome, coordinator of the initiative for the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa.
Fiagome said that the list of agencies who have signed on is not fixed. She hopes that more groups, as well as individuals, will get involved.
The issue will be addressed again at a youth-led community presentation on juvenile delinquency prevention, 10:30 a.m. July 21 at the Mingo Valley Division of the Tulsa Police Department.