Statewide initiative to strengthen juvenile justice system

Rhode Island's FY 2012 Juvenile Accountability Block Grant funding will be utilized for two state-level interrelated projects/programs. Rhode Island has one Family Court, one Office of Public Defender, one state prosecutor (Office of Attorney General), and one secure juvenile detention facility (Rhode Island Training School for Youth). The Rhode Island Department of Attorney General will be actively involved in numerous statewide initiatives to increase offending youths' capacity to understand and be accountable for their actions. Additionally, coordination of efforts that combine juvenile prosecution (AG), juvenile crime prevention, family court involvement and local level service providers provides and enhances ability to track youth through the system. The Public Defender provides court-appointed defenders and special advocates which includes mental health screening and assessment for juvenile offenders within their departments' services. Beyond traditional partnerships, the Rhode Island Family Court has been creative in outreaching to other community agencies. The overall goal is to continue to strengthen the state's juvenile justice system by providing additional support and resources that are offender-focused with specific multi-agency activities that promote juvenile accountability. Reductions in recidivism rates over a 3 year period are expected. Rhode Island does not have any county form of government, thus a request has been approved for a waiver of the 75% pass-through to units of local government.
NCA/NCF