Daryl Fox: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the February 26, 2024, installment of “Today in Juvenile Justice: Administrator Update.” We’re glad you’re able to join us today. All audio lines are muted, as this is a listen-only briefing. For reference, this recording will be posted tomorrow to the OJJDP website. At this time, it’s my pleasure to introduce Liz Ryan, OJJDP Administrator, for today’s update.
Liz Ryan: Hello, welcome to “Today in Juvenile Justice.” I’m Liz Ryan, Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or OJJDP.
I’m on the road today so if you hear background noise that’s why. But I wanted to talk to you about OJJDP’s continuum of care approach, designed to meet the needs of youth involved in or at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system.
In 2023, OJJDP created our Continuum of Care for Communities model, which spans prevention, intervention, treatment, and reentry strategies.
Although the names we use have changed over the years, the concept of a comprehensive strategy to meet the needs of young people in the juvenile justice system first began in 1899 and has persevered throughout history to include the reauthorization in 2018 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
OJJDP’s continuum of care approach helps communities assess their needs, identify gaps in services, and address emerging issues. It provides a strong and cost-effective framework that prioritizes community safety and well-being.
Communities that adopt a continuum of care approach have done so as part of a systemwide reform program. The goal is to address risk factors early to prevent youth from becoming further involved in a system. By intervening early, both youth and communities have better outcomes.
Communities that have implemented a continuum of care are better able to identify and respond to changing needs and provide effective evidence-based responses.
At its core, the continuum of care approach is guided by the needs and input of the larger community.
The public feels safer knowing their community is using the right tools to respond to youth violence, and that funds are being spent on cost-effective solutions that have proven successful.
For example, restorative justice programs seek to help youth understand the consequence of their actions while holding them appropriately accountable and providing an opportunity for them to reconnect with their community.
We know that investing resources early in the continuum pays high dividends long-term in reducing violence and increasing positive outcomes for youth.
In 2023, we launched the Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success initiative.
Through this initiative, we will award over 17 million dollars to 26 grantees and 3 training and technical assistance providers to develop a community-based continuum of promising and evidence-based services that will serve as a foundation to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system, divert them from moving deeper into the system, and help them develop the skills needed to lead safe, healthy, and law-abiding lives.
To learn more about the continuum of care, please join us for our webinar entitled: “OJJDP’s Continuum of Care: An Effective Framework for Youth Safety, Accountability, and Justice Approach.”
During the webinar, we will provide an overview of how communities can build a “continuum of care” to strengthen their approach to youth justice.
The registration information can be found on our website: ojjdp.ojp.gov.
Now, let’s move to the "Ask the Administrator” portion of this call.
Today’s question is about OJJDP’s work on youth prearrest diversion.
As previously discussed, we want to keep youth out of the justice system.
Prearrest diversion programs play a crucial role in achieving this goal by offering treatment and support to youth who engage in delinquent behavior.
We provide funding, training and technical assistance, and resources to communities implementing or expanding their youth diversion programs.
There are many strategies for diversion, from simple warn-and-release programs to programs requiring intensive treatment services and check-ins with the court system.
OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide, or MPG, serves as a comprehensive online resource, highlighting what works, what shows promise, and what does not work in the realm of juvenile justice and youth programs.
The guide offers information about evidence-based programs related to juvenile justice, youth prevention, intervention (including diversion programs), and reentry.
The MPG Implementation Guides provide users with specific steps that should be taken to effectively implement evidence-based programs and practices. We currently have implementation guides for juvenile reentry, school-based bullying prevention, and diversion programs.
Visit our website at ojjdp.ojp.gov to learn more about these types of programs.
If you would like to receive updates on juvenile justice programs, funding opportunities, and research publications, I encourage you visit our website and subscribe to our JUVJUST and monthly newsletter, OJJDP News @ a Glance.
Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to our next call on March 27 at 1:30 p.m.
