CNMI FY2011 Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Application

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. 3796ee). 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 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 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA) will continue funding government agencies and program efforts towards supporting and improving prioritized areas within the juvenile justice system with their FY 2011 JABG funds. The CJPA plans to fund the Juvenile Justice Task Force as well as other agencies involved in the juvenile justice system such as the Division of Youth Services, Juvenile Detention Unit and Juvenile Probation Unit; the Office of the Public Defender; Superior Court, Family Court Division; and the Department of Public Safety, Juvenile Police Unit. The program purpose areas to be funded include: Purpose area 2 - Juvenile Detention Improvement; Purpose area 3 - Juvenile Probation and Pre-Trial Services; Purpose area 10 - Interagency Information Sharing; Purpose area 15 - Juvenile Probation; and Purpose area 9 - Juvenile records. Quarterly progress reports and annual reports will be collected to measure the impact and outcomes of these programs. Regular meetings will also be scheduled for the Juvenile Justice Task Force to help evaluate program progress. The CNMI State Advisory Group (SAG) will be administering all Task Force activities for accountability purposes.
NCA/NCF