OJJDP News @ a Glance, November/December 2015

• NCJ Number: 249506
• Date Published: December 2015
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP News @ a Glance
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description; Newsletter; News and Announcement; Legislation/Policy Description

Annotation

This online newsletter of the U.S, Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) features ways in which OJJDP has promoted youth justice and safety in 2015 and reports on the following topics: guidance on managing girls in the juvenile justice system, OJJDP's support for cities in countering violence, juvenile justice reform, police and youth engagement, and the Justice Department's participation in the implementation of the Second Chance Act and mental health efforts.

Abstract

One featured segment of the newsletter highlights OJJDP's work in recent months to guide States in implementing effective models for improving public safety while serving the needs of youth involved in the justice system. A segment on policy guidance on girls in the juvenile justice system presents eight focus areas where States, tribes, and communities can improve their responses to girls. In addition, it outlines OJJDP's training and technical assistance, grants, research, and data-collection support for a more enlightened approach for girls in the juvenile justice system. A third segment of the newsletter reports on OJJDP's facilitation of police-youth engagement. Another segment reports on the features of Federal grants of $1.5 million to bolster Baltimore's violence-prevention efforts. A segment then describes ways in which OJJDP is working with law enforcement agencies to ensure that attention to the needs and problems of youth are taken into account in decisionmaking and are part of efforts to build trust in their communities. The concluding feature segment reports on OJJDP Administrator Listenbee's plenary remarks at the 2015 Second Chance Act & Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program National Conference. He emphasized OJJDP's priority support for a comprehensive, trauma-informed approach to reforming the juvenile justice system, recognizing that youth who come into contact with the justice system are often coping with trauma caused by their victimization.