Targeted Outreach to State Legislatures on Juvenile Justice

The National Conference of State Legislatures proposes the project "Targeted Outreach to State Legislatures on Juvenile Justice" to educate and inform state legislatures as they review and reform juvenile justice systems and policy. Information, assistance, and training provided by NCSL helps state lawmakers strengthen their capacity to comply with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act core requirements, administer Formula Grant awards and subawards, and strengthen their individual juvenile justice systems. The project design is based on a broad, systemic view of juvenile justice and will include education, information and dissemination on topics including, but not limited to the core requirements of the JJDPA, distinguishing juveniles from adult offenders, adolescent development, state reinvestment and community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, addressing racial and ethnic disparities and keeping young people in the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. NCSL is a regular and ready resource for lawmakers and their staff as they consider and advance legislation on compliance with the JJDPA and other youth policy issues. Expected outcomes include the expansion of NCSL’s Juvenile Justice Database to include legislation related to the implementation of the Formula Grant Program’s core requirements and juvenile justice system improvement. NCSL will then make these resources available to juvenile justice stakeholders. NCSL will also publish information on juvenile justice system improvement specifically highlighting successful examples of states maintaining and coming back into compliance on the jail removal, separation and/or deinstitutionalization of status offenders core requirements, and/or reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.