OJJDP FY 2014 Smart on Juvenile Justice: A Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform

archived

Many states have recently embraced or are in the process of pursuing comprehensive juvenile justice reforms to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, improve youth outcomes, and reduce taxpayer burdens associated with out-of-home placement. In addition to improving both public safety and outcomes for youth, states are seeking ways that these reforms can be self-financing through a redistribution of spending from more expensive facility costs to early intervention, diversion, and community-based programs. To achieve their potential, these reforms must be implemented properly. OJJDP will support states and localities implementing juvenile justice reform by providing national leadership; policy guidance; training and technical assistance on a range of juvenile justice issues, including but not limited to eliminating racial and ethnical disparities; implementation of evidence-based assessment tools; enhancement of the adjudicatory hearing process to support prosecutors, probation officers, defense attorneys, and judges; use of out-of-home placement when deemed appropriate; enhancing standards for out of home placement; and comprehensive reentry/aftercare models. The initiative is a public-private partnership between OJJDP, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the training and technical assistance provider to be selected, and participating states. This project will cover a broad range of activities and services to facilitate the effective implementation of state reforms on a local level, with the overall goal of sustained change and promotion of a developmentally appropriate approach to juvenile justice nationally.

High