Iowa's JABG Project

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 et. seq.). 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.

Iowa's JABG Plan for FY 2013 includes a request for a waiver of the 75% pass-through requirement to units of local government, based on the state's financial burden for juvenile justice, which is demonstrated to be 78% for the administration of juvenile justice. Iowa's JABG Plan for FY 2013 was developed with input from the chief juvenile court officers, the Department of Human Services, Iowa League of Cities, the Iowa State Association of Counties, the Juvenile Justice Advisory Council (SAC), and the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Advisory Council. Iowa's JABG plan includes four priority areas: (1) Allocation to communities through local juvenile court services offices; (2) Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) - School to Court;
(3) Treatment and Assessment of Delinquent Youth with Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse Issues; and, (4) Juvenile Justice Evaluation and Research - Assist juvenile courts in data collection and data analysis on juvenile offenders and their families.

The State's plan promotes accountability through offender-focused sanctions specific to the needs of local communities, and through system-focused sanctions specific to the needs of local communities, and through system focused activities that address best practices in juvenile justice.

The State will distribute one-third of the State's JABG funds to the eight regional juvenile court services offices to detemine the programs to implement based on their needs. Historically, local communities has chosen the following programs areas: juvenile justice training programs for law enforcement and court personnel; interagency information sharing; risk and needs assessments including mental health and substance abuse treatment; accountability-based programs designed to enhance school safety; and, juvenile court and probation officers to be more effective in holding offenders accountable. NCA/NCF