OJJDP Expands Smart on Juvenile Justice Program to Two New States

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded $2.2 million in funding to expand Smart on Juvenile Justice: A Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform to South Dakota and West Virginia, as well as to provide ongoing support for the three states, Georgia, Hawaii and Kentucky, that received funding in 2014.

"Our highest priority is to ensure that the juvenile justice system treats young people fairly and puts them on a path to responsible, productive behavior," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee.  "These awards will support developmentally appropriate, evidence-based reforms that enhance public safety, reduce reoffending, maximize cost-savings, and improve the outlook for all youth who come into contact with the system."

The Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) will continue to serve as the primary technical assistance provider for the program. The five participating states will use data-driven and evidence-based approaches to strategically implement juvenile justice reforms, from arrest to detention to reentry.  These reforms include reducing pre-adjudicatory detention and out-of-home placements and reinvesting the resulting cost savings into community-based alternatives.

This effort is one component of OJJDP's Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative, which also includes grants to study and reduce racial and ethnic disparities throughout the juvenile justice system, to deliver comprehensive training for prosecutors, and to develop state-wide comprehensive strategies to improve the quality of indigent defense.

OJJDP launched the Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative in 2014 as part of the Justice Department's Smart on Crime effort, a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system to identify and implement reforms to ensure federal laws are enforced fairly and efficiently.

About the Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

OJP, headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at www.ojp.gov.

SOURCE Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

Related Links

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov