Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG)

New Mexico's FY 2012 JABG funding is focused on reducing juvenile offenders by providing accountability-based programs within the state and local juvenile justice systems. An accountability-based system of graduated sanctions strengthens the State of New Mexico juvenile system in developing youth competency, tracking juveniles through the system, and providing options such as restitution, community service, victim-offender mediation, and restorative justice to meet shared goals by juvenile justice leaders in the community. This approach includes working with New Mexico's large number of Native American communities in partnership with their Title II Formula Grant program funding. Since the vast majority of programs and services in juvenile justice are the responsibility of state government, the Children, Youth and Families Department continues to request a waiver of the 75% pass-through requirement to units of local government. The JABG program purpose areas chosen by the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) are as follows: (1) Developing, implementing, and administering graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders; 6) Establishing and maintaining training programs for law enforcement and other court personnel with respect to preventing and controlling juvenile crime; 11) Establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs designed to reduce recidivism among juveniles who are referred by law enforcement personnel or agencies; (12) Establishing and maintaining programs to conduct risk and need assessments of juvenile offenders that facilitate the effective early intervention and the provision of comprehensive services, including mental health screening and treatment and substance abuse testing and treatment of such offenders; (13) Establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs that are designed to enhance school safety; (14) Establishing and maintaining restorative justice programs; and (15) Establishing and maintaining programs to enable juvenile courts and juvenile probation officers to be more effective and efficient to holding juvenile offenders accountable and reducing recidivism. NCA/NCF