Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Land of Enchantment: Juvenile Justice Disparities as a Reflection of White-Over-Color Ascendancy

Abstract

This article provides an overview of disproportionate minority contact in the state of New Mexico by focusing on the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's identification phase. Statewide Relative Rate Index data of 9 decision points in the juvenile justice system were used to explore patterns of disparity for 7 years (2002–2008). New Mexico is 1 of 4 states considered to have a proportion of racial and ethnic minorities that surpasses the non-Hispanic White majority. Resident identities have been shaped by more than 400 years of history with several countries, presenting an opportunity to explore critical race theory's tenet of White-over-color ascendancy. Similar to in other states, Blacks and Hispanics were overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. Native Americans encountered mixed levels of over- and underrepresentation, whereas Whites were underrepresented in all but 1 decision point. According to these data, the numerically smaller White population continues to benefit from both psychic and material advantage in the Land of Enchantment.