Solutions sought for juvenile court disparity - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Police, schools and courts in Memphis are participating in a training program in an effort to reduce the high number of minority youths in the juvenile court system.

The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/PdHqPa ) reports presenters at a training session last week say the problem will continue until there's a change in culture - and that's part of what they are trying to initiate.

The main reason for the high numbers of African-Americans who are sent to the juvenile justice system isn't clear, but data shows that black youths are referred to the system at a rate that is 3.4 times that of white youths.

Officials from different juvenile agencies are now working together to find solutions that will bring the rate down.

Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com

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