Funding for Juvenile Justice Improvements and Reforms
Under the JJDPA, four main streams of funding support federal partnership with the states, territories and D.C. regarding juvenile justice.
Title II of the JJDPA: Formula Grants Program. Through this program, OJJDP provides funds directly to states, territories, and the District of Columbia to help them implement comprehensive state juvenile justice plans based on detailed studies of needs in their jurisdictions, as well as to achieve compliance with the core requirements of the JJDPA ([1] click here to download the JJDPA). The goal of this program is to improve juvenile justice systems by increasing the availability and types of prevention and intervention programs, and implementing juvenile justice system improvements.
Title V of the JJPDA: Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs. Commonly known as the Community Prevention Grants Program, Title V creates a federal grant program to fund collaborative, community-based delinquency prevention efforts to reach youth in high-risk situations to increase protective factors and positive choices, and provides local jurisdictions with the resources needed to implement a comprehensive delinquency prevention strategy in concert with community partners.
Delinquency Prevention Block Grant (DPBG). The DPBG program was created in the 2002 JJDPA reauthorization by consolidating program authorities that had provided a specific focus on mentoring, state challenge activities, gang-free schools and communities, and other related activities. The DPBG was designed to fund activities to prevent and reduce juvenile crime including projects that provide treatment to juvenile offenders and juveniles who are at risk of becoming juvenile offenders. It has not received appropriations since 2003.
Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG). The original purpose of the JABG was to provide states and units of local government with funds to develop programs to promote greater accountability in the juvenile justice system, including building, expanding, and operating juvenile facilities, training correctional personnel, hiring additional judges, prosecutors, probation officers, and court-appointed defenders, and funding pre-trial services for juveniles. The purpose areas of JABG were expanded significantly under the 2002 and 2005 reauthorizations to provide for graduated sanctions programs that include counseling, restitution, community service, and supervised probation; more substance abuse programs; mental health screening and treatment; restorative justice programs; gang prevention; anti-bullying initiatives; and re-entry.
To continue the remarkable work being accomplished by the states, it is imperative that the states, territories and D.C. receive federal support to further enhance public safety, prevent youth crime and rehabilitate juvenile offenders by assuring accountability, appropriate treatment and best practices and policies in juvenile justice. To that end, the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (NJJDPC) is requesting that Congress restore funding for these programs to FY 2002 levels in the following amounts:
Key streams of federal JJ funding as appropriated (in millions):
FY 02
FY 03
FY 04
FY 05
FY 06
FY 07
CR
FY08
FY09
NJJDPC
REQUEST for
FY10
Title II
$88.8
$83.3
$83.2
$83.3
$79.2
$79.2
$74.3
$75
$89
Title V
$94.3
$46.1
$79.2
$79.4
$64.4
$64.4
$61.1
$62
$95
JABG
$249.5
$188.8
$59.4
$54.6
$49.5
$49.5
$51.7
$55
$250
DPBG
N/A
$126.4
--0--
--0--
--0--
--0--
--0--
--0--
$126.4
Funding for OJJDP
Authorized under Title II, Part A of the JJDPA, [2] The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. A component of the U.S. [3] Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system in order to enhance public safety, prevent delinquency, protect children and provide treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families.
To continue and strengthen the federal-state partnership for juvenile justice, it is imperative that OJJDP receive the federal support it needs to fulfill its purpose and functions. To that end, NJJDPC is requesting that Congress restore funding for OJJDP to the amount of $6.8 million: