Montana JABG

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.

The goal of Montana's Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program is to reduce juvenile offending through accountability-based initiatives focused on both the system and the offender to promote greater accountability within the juvenile justice system. The focus is on four purpose areas (10, 12, 14, and 15) and their corresponding performance measures: interagency information-sharing programs; risk and needs assessments of juvenile offenders; restorative justice programs; and accountability and recidivism reduction programs in juvenile courts and probation. The Montana Board of Crime Control (MBCC) will develop a MOU with the Montana Supreme Court to update JCATS; develop screen-by-screen data collection steps for system enhancement; capture detention data, juvenile detention alternatives initiative (JDAI) data, risk assessment instrument (RAI) data, Montana Code Annotated (MCA)-specific probation violation data, and school arrest data and report to the governor and legislature. MBCC will also provide funding to conduct risk and needs assessments of juvenile offenders for early intervention screening and treatment and will promote alternatives to detention and reduce out-of-home placements when appropriate.

(NCA/NCF)