A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE A STATE STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE EXISTS AN OVERREPRESENTATION OF MINORITY YOUTH IN NORTH CAROLINA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND TO CONSIDER STATEWIDE DISPOSITIONAL ALTERNATIVES AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THIS PURPOSE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  North Carolina Central University, in conjunction with its Department of Sociology, shall conduct a study on the overrepresentation of minority youth in North Carolina youth development centers.  In conducting the study, the University shall:
(1)	Compile and analyze data of youth development center commitments for the years 1992 to 2002, including data of the race, age, gender, and level of offense of all juveniles committed to youth development centers in all 100 counties of the State during those years;
(2)	Survey all programs throughout the State that serve as prevention programs and alternatives to commitment for juveniles adjudicated delinquent in order to analyze the impact these programs have in deterring minority youth commitment;
(3)	Assess the availability and accessibility of prevention programs and programs that serve as alternatives to commitment to minority and at‑risk youth in all 100 counties of the State, including the percentage of minority and at‑risk youth adjudicated delinquent who are placed in programs that serve as alternatives to commitment; and
(4)	Test data for variables contributing to minority youth overrepresentation in State youth development centers, including data related to the role of the court system in either committing juveniles to youth development centers or placing them in alternative programs.
SECTION 2.  North Carolina Central University shall present its findings, including policy recommendations and legislative proposals, to the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the General Assembly on or before May 1, 2005.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2003‑2004 fiscal year for North Carolina Central University to conduct the study authorized in Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.