OJJDP FY 2015 Design Study of Dual System Youth

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The Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDP Act) of 2002 directs OJJDP to pursue research that enhances the field’s understanding of “juveniles who, prior to placement in the Juvenile Justice system, were under the care or custody of the State Child Welfare system, and juveniles who are unable to return to their family after completing their disposition in the Juvenile Justice system and who remain wards of the State.” The intent is to generate information on the prevalence and incidence of youth fitting these criteria (i.e., dual system youth) and strategies to improve coordination between the juvenile justice and child welfare systems and improve outcomes for these youth. OJJDP is seeking applications for funding under its Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Design Study of Dual System Youth. This design study (and related case studies) will identify effective and efficient strategies to measure the prevalence of dual system youth; identify the status of coordination and data sharing between the juvenile and criminal justice and child welfare systems (including expanding beyond delinquency or dependency court involvement to potentially include youth contact with law enforcement [e.g., arrests] and child protection agencies [e.g., child welfare cases]); and identify avenues for improved coordination and data sharing across systems.

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