Accountability based juvenile justice system improvement

The Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program (JABG) Program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 376ee). The goal of the JABG program is to reduce juvenile offending through accountability-based programs focused on both the juvenile offender and the juvenile justice system. The objective is to ensure that States and Territories are addressing the specified program purpose areas and receiving information on best practices from OJJDP. JABG funds are allocated to States and Territories based on each State's relative population of youth under the age of 18. The underlying premise of juvenile accountability programming is that young people who violate the law should be held accountable for their actions through the swift, consistent application of graduated sanctions that are proportionate to the offenses, both as a matter of basic justice and as a way to combat juvenile delinquency and improve the quality of life in the nation's communities.

In Rhode Island, the 2010 Juvenile Accountability Block Grant funding will be utilized for 3 State level interrelated projects/programs: The RI Family Court Re-Entry Court, the Public Defender Juvenile Defender Unit and the Attorney General Juvenile Gang Suppression Unit. This application's goal is to strengthen the State's current juvenile justice system by providing additional support and resources that are offender focused with specific multi-agency activities that promote juvenile accountability. Additionally reductions in recidivism rates over a 3 year period are expected.
(NCA/NCF)