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Working for Youth Justice and Safety

Learn more about OJJDP
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OJJDP Priorities

OJJDP's three priorities reflect the Office's guiding philosophy: to enhance the welfare of America’s youth and broaden their opportunities for a better future. To bring these goals to fruition, OJJDP is leading efforts to transform the juvenile justice system into one that will—

The juvenile justice field's decisionmaking must be informed by science and research to ensure young people are adjudicated fairly and given opportunities to learn and recover from youthful mistakes.

Community-based programs that involve families as a critical component enhance youth outcomes, increase public safety, and strengthen neighborhoods.

Juvenile justice practitioners must recognize and address the barriers to success that involvement with the juvenile justice system creates for youth.

The Latest from OJJDP

OJJDP's 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice Showcases Youth Leadership

The conference, cosponsored by the federal Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, brought together more than 2,500 young people, families, youth justice practitioners, community leaders, educators, OJJDP grantees, and policymakers to discuss transforming juvenile justice. 

Facts About Youth Crime

The new site provides an overview of the youth justice system, how it differs from adult court, and how it has changed over the years. 

Newsletter - Monthly - Card
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OJJDP News @ a Glance, November 2024

The November newsletter highlights OJJDP's 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice, a three-day event celebrating 50 years of progress in youth justice and looking ahead to the field's next half century. The newsletter also spotlights the Office’s $420 million in fiscal year 2024 discretionary grants.

Partnering With Youth and Families: A Best Practices Guide for Youth Justice Stakeholders

In developing this best practices guide, we reviewed the most current literature about youth and family engagement and conducted indepth interviews with dozens of system involved young adults and their families.

Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Court, 2021

In 2021, juvenile courts in the United States handled 437,300 delinquency cases that involved youth charged with criminal law violations, 39% less than the number of cases handled in 2020. From 2005 through 2021, the number of delinquency cases declined 73%, with decreases in four offense categories.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Processing of Delinquency Cases, 2005-2022

In this data snapshot, data from OJJDP's National Juvenile Court Data Archive is used to trend case processing variations. Since 2005, referral rates for delinquency cases involving Black youth were more than twice the rates for all other groups.

Learn about Funding

Learn about Funding

OJJDP funding programs support state and community efforts to develop effective prevention and intervention programs and to improve juvenile justice systems.
Access Resources

Access Resources

OJJDP produces and sponsors numerous publications and products each year that focus on different aspects of juvenile justice.
Find Programs

Find Programs

OJJDP sponsors programs to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization and improve juvenile justice systems.
Participate in Events

Participate in Events

Learn about upcoming webinars and in-person conferences and training opportunities that support OJJDP's mission.

Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying  Initiative

Discover more about OJJDP's Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying  Initiative. This national initiative focuses on prevention and early intervention from a youth-based perspective. OJJDP hosted its second Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Virtual Symposium from October 17-18, 2023.