Officials organize meeting on race, ethnic issues in juvenile justice

By Paul Takahashi

Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 | 6:12 p.m.

Law enforcement officers and officials working with juvenile offenders will convene Saturday to address racial and ethnic disparities within the juvenile justice system.

The town hall meeting will take place at the Pearson Community Center, 1625 W. Carey Ave., in North Las Vegas. Representative from local law enforcement agencies, the county’s juvenile justice office and non-profit organizations will start the discussion at 10 a.m. Members of the public are invited to attend.

“This is a much-debated issue in the juvenile justice field and this is an honest effort to bring everyone to the table to discuss this issue and come up with possible solutions,” Fritz Reese, director of Juvenile Justice Services, said in a press release about the event. “We are all willing to work together to ensure that the system is equal and fair to everyone.”

Minority youth are overrepresented in all levels of the juvenile system with 38 percent of detainees identified as black and 33 percent identified as Hispanic, according to event organizers.

Officials cite economic, family and community issues as the driving forces behind the disproportionate rates of arrest and incarceration for racial and ethnic minorities.

The goal of the town hall meeting is to foster collaboration, raise awareness, organize advisory work groups and develop delinquency prevention and intervention programs.