County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network

The National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACoRF) is the education, technical assistance and research arm and non-profit subsidiary of the National Association of Counties (NACo). Founded in 1935, NACo is a bipartisan, non-profit membership association that brings together and elevates the leadership of county governments to achieve healthy, vibrant and safe communities across the nation. As NACo’s subsidiary, NACoRF assists America’s 3,069 counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees in pursuing excellence in local government. NACoRF promotes thought leadership among county governments in four major areas: best practice research, education and training, peer learning, and convening among government and private-sector leaders.

NACoRF proposes the County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network, an educational and community of practice initiative that will elevate juvenile justice as a key policy and investment priority for county leaders. In coordination with other providers, NACoRF will offer states, territories and counties access to skilled, tailored, on-site and virtual support designed to strengthen their capacity to comply with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act core requirements, administer their Formula Grant awards and subawards, and strengthen their individual juvenile justice systems.

NACoRF will use this award to accomplish the following:

Host a County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network that will provide opportunities for county teams to engage with peers in developing strategies to implement the Title II, Part B, Formula Grants Program at the local level. Goals will be to assist teams in efforts to reduce the number of status offenders in detention and youth in adult facilities, develop a robust continuum of care, and/or identify and address racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system, by facilitating implementation of the approved State Plans. The network will support peer learning and sponsor virtual and inperson networking and technical assistance opportunities with peers and subject matter experts.
Create and share a County Juvenile Justice Innovation Toolkit to support county leaders in understanding best and promising practices in juvenile justice and collaboration with other youthserving systems to reduce youth incarceration and detention, increase access to a continue of appropriate care, improve individual outcomes, and identify and eliminate racial disparities in the juvenile justice system. Major deliverables will include a national webinar series on State Plan successes and juvenile justice innovations, case studies/profiles highlight innovation and lessons learned, and a series of briefs highlighting county best practices and implementation strategies.