FORMULA GRANTS PROGRAM T II 2016

The Formula Grants Program is authorized under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act and funds are made available as a result of the FY 2016 Department of Justice appropriations. The purpose of this program is to support state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements. Program areas may include: planning and administration; state advisory group allocation; compliance monitoring; prevention; and activities to address the core requirements and improvement of juvenile justice system operations and policies, as found in section 223(a)(9) of the JJDP Act.

The Office of the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs (OCMA), as the Puerto Rico Designated State Agency, has been focusing on compliance with the JJDPA. OCMA serves minor offenders on the island, who are typically urban area males with a median age of 15 from a low socio-economic background. OCMA seeks to address the needs of the juvenile population in Puerto Rico by creating prevention programs targeting poverty, domestic violence and juvenile crime in collaboration with municipalities and non-profit organizations. OCMA's activities will focus on Planning and Administration (28), State Advisory Group (32), Compliance Monitoring (19), Jail Removal (26), Separation of Juveniles from Adult Inmates (31) and Delinquency Prevention (06). Additionally, OCMA will continue to focus on education and socioeconomic factors affecting overall well-being of youth, including poverty and the integration of family.

NCA/NCF