Eight former OJJDP administrators joined Administrator Liz Ryan in Washington, D.C., on October 8 for “OJJDP Administrators’ Forum: JJDPA Through the Decades,” a lively panel discussion about the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974—the JJDPA—and its impact on young people.

The JJDPA established OJJDP and introduced federal standards for the safety and equity of young people in the juvenile justice system. Prior to the law’s passage, the juvenile justice system was “predominantly punitive,” Administrator Ryan said, “dismissing the critical potential for rehabilitation.” The JJDPA outlines core requirements states must meet to receive Title II formula grant funding. In the law’s current form, those requirements include deinstitutionalizing youth charged with status offenses, removing youth from adult jails and lockups, separating youth from adults in secure facilities, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.

The Administrators’ Forum took place during the first week of Youth Justice Action Month and was part of OJJDP’s yearlong celebration of the JJDPA’s 50th anniversary. The nine leaders brought a wealth of firsthand knowledge about the JJDPA, from its development and passage to the reauthorizations and amendments that have expanded its reach over the decades. One of the law’s most significant achievements was removing youth from adult jails, they agreed. The JJDPA fostered research, including the damaging effects of incarceration on young people and the impact of transferring youth from the juvenile to the adult court system. The former administrators also discussed changes in the response to youth crime, reflecting particularly on the zero-tolerance policies and “super predator” misnomer from the 1980s and 1990s. Today, policies are more likely to reflect scientific research into youth development and emphasize prevention and intervention over punishment.

“The only way to truly reform our juvenile justice system is to reimagine it,” Administrator Ryan said during closing remarks. “We must literally close the doors on youth prisons to open the doors for better alternatives—alternatives that are more effective, that have a greater return on investment, and are safer.”

Administrator Ryan was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden in May 2022. The eight former administrators who participated in the forum are:

• John Rector, who was appointed Administrator by President Jimmy Carter and served from 1977 until 1979.
• Ira M. Schwartz, who was appointed Administrator by President Jimmy Carter and served from 1979 until 1981.
• John J. Wilson, who served as Acting Administrator from January 1993 until April 1994 and again from February 2000 until August 2001.
• Shay Bilchik, who was appointed Administrator by President William J. Clinton and served from April 1994 until February 2000.
• J. Robert Flores, who was appointed Administrator by President George W. Bush and served from April 2002 until January 2009.
• Jeff Slowikowski, who served as Acting Administrator from January 2009 until January 2012.
• Robert L. Listenbee, who was appointed Administrator by President Barack Obama and served as Administrator from March 2013 until January 2017; and
• Chyrl Jones, who served as Acting Administrator from January 2021 until May 2022.