Core Requirements Training for States

Training Overview

In November 2018, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) hosted a training for state representatives in Baltimore, MD. Attendees included compliance monitors, disproportionate minority contact coordinators, juvenile justice specialists, and state advisory group members serving in one of those positions.

The 4-day training provided participants with an overview of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act, updates on the Title II Formula Grants Program, and a review of state representatives' roles and responsibilities. The training also included sessions tailored specifically for compliance monitors with less than 3 years of job experience.

Compliance with the JJDP Act and its four core requirements is a complex, ongoing process of assessment, evaluation, and data gathering. OJJDP used this training to help states identify issues, barriers, needs, gaps, and funding concerns they faced while working toward and maintaining JJDP Act compliance. The sessions were specifically designed to address many of those issues and provides the tools needed to adhere to the core requirements.

To be eligible to receive a formula grant, a State must designate one agency to prepare and administer a comprehensive 3-year Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention plan, establish a SAG appointed by the Governor or other chief executive officer to provide policy direction, participate in preparing and administering the Formula Grants program plan, and commit to achieve and maintain compliance with the following four core requirements of the JJDP Act:

• Deinstitutionalization of status offenders.
• Removal of juveniles from adult jails and detention facilities.
• Separation of juveniles from adults in secure facilities.
• Reduction of disproportionate minority contact within the juvenile justice system.

Training Sessions

The training incorporated additional individualized sessions on effective strategies for overcoming common obstacles in monitoring, an overview of recent Title II Formula Grant federal policy and procedure changes, updates on the fiscal year 2019 Title II application process, and OJJDP's new approach to disproportionate minority contact. Specific training topics included:

• Laying a Foundation: The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, Title II, and OJJDP
• Roles and Relationships: Juvenile Justice Specialists, Grantees, and States Advisory Groups
• Voices From the Field: Question and Answer Session With Veteran Juvenile Justice Specialists
• Dollars and Data: Grant Management and Reporting
• The First Three Core Requirements in Depth

View the full agenda to learn more about the training sessions.

Training Highlights - Participant Feedback

More than 140 state representatives from across the country attended this training. During this training, OJJDP had an opportunity to hear directly from the participants about issues in their states related to compliance as well as how OJJDP and this conference helped address those issues. To learn more, click on the videos below and hear directly from the participants:

What issues are you experiencing in your state surrounding core protections?

How has OJJDP helped you achieve your state's Title II and/or compliance program goals?

In addressing Title II and/or compliance issues in your state, what were your expectations and main takeaways from this conference?

Resources

• Compliance with the Core Requirements of the JJDP Act
• Juvenile Justice State Contacts
• Juvenile Justice Specialist Community of Practice. Log in required. Non-members must request access from the Center for Coordinated Assistance to States.