OJJDP Celebrates 50 Years of Transforming Youth Justice
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention have turned 50! On September 7, 1974, the JJDPA was signed into law, setting federal standards for the safe and equitable treatment of young people in the juvenile justice system and establishing OJJDP to lead national efforts to prevent and reduce juvenile delinquency.
View the 50th Anniversary Webpage
Watch Administrator Liz Ryan's JJDPA 50th Anniversary Video Message
Use the hashtag #JJDPA50 to join the conversation and get the word out.
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
Registration is Open for OJJDP's 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention invites you to register for the 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice: Shaping the Next 50 Years. The conference will be held November 19-21, 2024, at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C.
The History of the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
A new blog post captures the history behind the most comprehensive piece of juvenile justice legislation ever passed by Congress.
Op-Ed: Treat Kids as Kids: A Modern Approach to Ensuring Safe Communities
"Two key factors that promote positive behaviors are support and opportunity. It is imperative that we strengthen the network of support for youth, both for those who engage in delinquent or criminal behavior and those whose circumstances put them at risk," wrote Administrator Ryan. Read her op-ed in Newsweek.
OJJDP News @ a Glance, August 2024
The August newsletter highlights the critical role youth played during the Civil Rights Movement, an OJJDP-supported program that relies on a youth-family-school-neighborhood partnership to reduce community violence, and the path a North Carolina youth followed from juvenile detention to a promising career in academia.
Video Available: OJJDP's Continuum of Care An Effective Framework for Youth Safety, Accountability, and Justice
Watch the webinar on OJJDP's Continuum of Care for Communities framework for youth justice programs and services that's centered around youth, families, and communities. This framework prioritizes youth and community safety and focuses on early intervention and effective programming.
View and Apply for OJJDP Funding
Access current funding opportunities from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Recent News
- Amplifying the Youth Voice During Youth Justice Action Month
- OJJDP Celebrates 49th Year of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
- OJJDP in the Field: Utah Program Site Visit
- OJJDP Calls on States to Strengthen Youth Defense Systems
- USDA Programs Help To Feed Children Facing Food Insecurity
- The Scottsboro Boys: Legacy of Injustice
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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.