STACY LEE:
Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the June 27, 2024 installment of "Today in Juvenile Justice: Administrator Update." We are glad that you are 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, my name is Liz Ryan. I am the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or OJJDP.
This month, OJJDP proudly stood with the nation in observance of Juneteenth and Pride Month. These two annual celebrations are powerful reminders of the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and justice confronting marginalized communities everywhere.
Today, I want to focus on a few key initiatives OJJDP supports that strategically align with our overarching commitment to racial equity and fairness and our promise to partner with youth and families directly impacted by the juvenile justice system.
OJJDP upholds the principles celebrated during Juneteenth and Pride Month in several fundamental ways:
- By actively addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.
- By protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.
- By ensuring youth have access to legal representation.
From disproportionate arrest and detention rates to harsher sentencing outcomes, we know that young people of color face overwhelming disadvantages and barriers in the juvenile justice system. Research shows that youth of color, specifically Black, Latino, and Native American youth, are treated more punitively at all points in the juvenile justice system when compared to white youth who have committed similar offenses.
We also know that LGBTQ+ youth, particularly those of color, are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system and are at greater risk of being victimized. Research has found that lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth were significantly more likely to be stopped by police than heterosexual youth, and twice as likely to have been held in secure detention.
In response, OJJDP has undertaken a comprehensive approach to dismantle the institutional barriers that marginalize youth based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. For example, OJJDP has committed more than $1.5 million to provide training and technical assistance through the Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities, launched in May. The Center will provide vital support to the field to reduce disparities faced by youth of color in the legal system. The Center aims to help increase the knowledge base of practitioners and implement promising practices and innovative strategies to strengthen state compliance with the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act's core requirement to reduce racial and ethnic disparities.
OJJDP also established the Pride Justice Resource Center. This center provides training and technical assistance opportunities for juvenile justice practitioners and stakeholders to enhance their capacity, knowledge, and skills to improve and strengthen overall outcomes for justice-involved LGBTQ and Two-Spirit youth. These resources include supporting system change, family engagement and acceptance, and identifying gaps in knowledge.
In partnership with the Gault Center, OJJDP supports training initiatives to equip youth defense attorneys with the skills and knowledge to effectively represent youth in delinquency cases, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. The Gault Center's National Youth Defense System Standards provide a framework to ensure that youth defense delivery systems satisfy constitutional mandates of due process and equal protection, to include the right to counsel. This framework outlines steps that states must take to satisfy the minimum requirements of the U.S. Constitution to fully safeguard the rights of justice-involved youth. Prioritizing access to legal representation ensures all young people, regardless of their race or ethnicity, have access to quality legal counsel and a fair chance at navigating the juvenile justice system successfully.
By establishing these dedicated initiatives and making racial equity a guiding principle, OJJDP is taking meaningful steps to support ALL youth and address inequities within the juvenile justice system.
To learn more, visit our website at [ojjdp.ojp.gov](https://ojjdp.ojp.gov). And please remember to follow us on our social media channels and subscribe to our newsletter.
We don't have any questions from our "Ask the Administrator" mailbox today but keep the questions coming.
Thank you for joining me.
