Office of Juvenile Justice and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventionDelinquency Prevention

Serving Children, Families, and Communities

serving children, families, and communitiesserving children, families, and communities

providing national leadership and coordinationproviding national leadership and coordination

providing national leadership and coordinationproviding national leadership and coordination

Office of Justice Programs“Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods"

OJJDP

serving children, families, and communitiesserving children, families, and communities

Can you find OJJDP?Can you find OJJDP?

responding to child victimization

preventing and intervening in delinquency

strengthening the juvenile justice system

addressing the nation’s juvenile justice needsaddressing the nation’s juvenile justice needs

addressing the nation’s juvenile justice needsaddressing the nation’s juvenile justice needs

Is there a “juvenile violence crisis”?Is there a “juvenile violence crisis”?

Messages the media give us Messages the media give us

vs.vs.

What the data tell usWhat the data tell us

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007

Violent Crime Index

Year

Arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10-17, 1980-2007

The recent increase in the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate since 2004 was The recent increase in the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate since 2004 was interrupted in 2007. interrupted in 2007.

Internet Citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available:

http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/crime/JAR_Display.asp?ID=qa05201. October 24, 2008.

Less than one-half of 1 percent of juveniles in the U.S. were arrested for a violent Less than one-half of 1 percent of juveniles in the U.S. were arrested for a violent offense in 2007.offense in 2007.

Prepared by the National Center for Juvenile Justice for OJJDP.

Youth in Custody . . . on any given dayYouth in Custody . . . on any given day::

Approximately 93,000 youth are in a juvenile residential facility (awaiting or post-adjudication).

16% of youth in custody were placed as a result of a technical violation; for 5% the placing offense was a status offense.

42% of juvenile residential facilities are publicly operated; they hold 69% of juvenile offenders

Sickmund, Melissa, Sladky, T.J., and Kang, Wei. (2008) "Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement Databook." Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/cjrp/

State commitment rates varied considerably in 2006, from 30 to 534 per 100,000 State commitment rates varied considerably in 2006, from 30 to 534 per 100,000 juveniles. More than half of the states had lower rates in 2006 than in 2003.juveniles. More than half of the states had lower rates in 2006 than in 2003.

2006 Commitment rateper 100,000

0 to 110 (6)111 to 219 (28)220 to 284 (11)285 to 534 (6)

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08601.asp?qaDate=2006. Released on September 12, 2008.

OJJDP component divisionsOJJDP component divisions

Office of Policy DevelopmentOffice of Policy Development

– Concentration of Federal Efforts– Communications Unit

three program divisionsthree program divisions

– Child Protection Division– State Relations and Assistance Division– Demonstration Programs Division

Child Protection DivisionChild Protection Division

recovering missing and abducted children addressing child abuse and neglect protecting children from online predators

addressing the nation’s juvenile justice needsaddressing the nation’s juvenile justice needs

recovering missing and abducted childrenrecovering missing and abducted children

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children AMBER Alert

addressing child abuse and neglectaddressing child abuse and neglect Children’s Advocacy Centers Court Appointed Special Advocates

protecting children from online predatorsprotecting children from online predators Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces

responding to child victimizationresponding to child victimization

State Relations and Assistance DivisionState Relations and Assistance Division

working with states to improve juvenile justice meeting the requirements of the JJDP Act improving conditions of confinement for juvenile offenders holding juvenile offenders accountable

addressing the nation’s juvenile justice needsaddressing the nation’s juvenile justice needs

meeting the requirements of the JJDP Actmeeting the requirements of the JJDP Act

compliance monitoringcompliance monitoring deinstitutionalizing status offenders

(DSO)

separating juveniles from adults in institutions (separation)

removing juveniles from adult jails and lockups (jail removal)

reducing disproportionate minority contact (DMC), where it exists

strengthening the juvenile justice systemstrengthening the juvenile justice system

Demonstration Programs DivisionDemonstration Programs Division

keeping youth in school and out of trouble providing mentors for youth in need reducing gang involvement implementing tribal youth initiatives addressing substance abuse and delinquency

addressing the nation’s juvenile justice needsaddressing the nation’s juvenile justice needs

Keeping youth in school and out of troubleKeeping youth in school and out of trouble

OJJDP’s Truancy Reduction

Program implementing system reforms and

increasing accountability enhancing interagency cooperation providing a continuum of services involving youth and increasing

community awareness

preventing and intervening in delinquencypreventing and intervening in delinquency

Why Truancy?Why Truancy?

Truancy is our first and best indicator that a young person is headed for delinquency

OJJDP has had a long history of promoting truancy reduction to prevent delinquency

We now have overwhelming research and evaluation evidence as a call to action in both policy and practice.

Truancy prevention is inexpensive and saves public funds for deep end costs.

Where does truancy lead?Where does truancy lead?

70% of suspended youth were chronically truant in the 6 months before suspension.

97% of expelled have been chronically truant in the previous year.

80% of dropouts were chronically truant in the past year before leaving school.

Chronic absence in Kindergarten predicts lower achievement in subsequent grades.

Where does truancy lead?Where does truancy lead?

90% of youth in detention for delinquent acts had history of truancy offending.

25% of all expelled youth will be in youth corrections within 1 year.

Even occasional period skippers ages 12-15 are 4 times as likely to be delinquent and begin drug use

Source: Colorado Study, National Center for School Engagement

providing mentors for youth in needproviding mentors for youth in need

Mentoring Initiatives National Mentoring Programs

Latino Youth Mentoring Program

Mentoring Programs for At-Risk Tribal Youth

Strengthening Youth Mentoring Through Community Partnerships

System-Involved Youth

preventing and intervening in delinquencypreventing and intervening in delinquency

Reducing youth involvement in gangsReducing youth involvement in gangsOJJDP’s Gang Reduction Program

comprehensive slate of prevention, intervention, and suppression programs

integrated array of related programs across risk domains and age groups

coordinated program implementation with collaboration at leadership and staffing levels

preventing and intervening in delinquencypreventing and intervening in delinquency

Los Angeles, CARichmond, VA

North Miami Beach, FL

Milwaukee, WI

implementing tribal youth initiativesimplementing tribal youth initiatives

Tribal Youth Program supports and enhances tribal

efforts to prevent and control delinquency and violent crime

improves tribal juvenile justice systems

holding offenders accountable

strengthening the juvenile justice systemstrengthening the juvenile justice system

addressing substance abuse and delinquencyaddressing substance abuse and delinquency

Juvenile and Family Drug Court Program providing intensive treatment

and specialized services

improving cross-system

collaboration

increasing effectiveness

and cost efficiency

preventing and intervening in delinquencypreventing and intervening in delinquency

juvenile drug courtsjuvenile drug courts

OJJDP and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) will support juvenile drug courts collaboratively in 2009 to maximize federal support and ensure implementation of best practices for juvenile drug courts. CSAT will post the joint solicitation.

Three winning applications each will receive two awards, one from CSAT to support treatment and one from OJJDP to support the court operation. The OJJDP award will be for up to $425,000 for 4 years. CSAT will make awards of $200,000 for each of 4 years.

juvenile drug courts (continued)juvenile drug courts (continued)

OJJDP also continues to support a 4-year initiative launched in

FY 2007 with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and CSAT to strengthen the response of juvenile drug courts to

juvenile offenders who are

substance abusers.

getting juveniles better services and better prepared for getting juveniles better services and better prepared for integration back into their community integration back into their community

Second Chance Act (section 211) is focused on Mentoring. This

is an area where OJJDP can help. With significant funding for

mentoring this year, we are looking to use some of those funds

to develop a mentoring program consistent with this section of

the Act.

Watch on our Web site for the solicitation – Second

Chance Act Juvenile Mentoring Initiative

getting juveniles better services and better prepared for getting juveniles better services and better prepared for integration back into their community…continued integration back into their community…continued

The Second Chance Act also authorizes re-entry grants to State

and local governments, territories, and federally recognized

Indian tribes that may be used for demonstration projects to

promote the safe and successful reintegration into the

community of individuals who have been incarcerated.

Watch on our Web site for the solicitation – Second

Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Initiative

Also watch for the solicitation: Gang Prevention Youth Mentoring Program – to provide mentors for youth at-risk of gang involvement.

getting juveniles better services and better prepared for getting juveniles better services and better prepared for integration back into their community…continued integration back into their community…continued

visit OJJDP’s Web sitevisit OJJDP’s Web site

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp

serving children, families, and communitiesserving children, families, and communities

subscribe to OJJDP’s electronic resourcessubscribe to OJJDP’s electronic resources

JUVJUST OJJDP News @ a Glance

serving children, families, and communitiesserving children, families, and communities

In Closing…In Closing…

On behalf of the staff and myself at OJJDP, let me say that we work hard everyday believing:

that __ one day effective programs will be adopted across the country;

that __ one day our children and youth will be loved and nurtured everyday, and

In Closing…continuedIn Closing…continued

that __ one day all of our children and youth will dream big, work hard, __and realize__ dreams do come true in America, even if you stumble on the journey to adulthood.

Thank you for being such a great audience. It has been my pleasure and honor to be with you for this breakout session.