Engaging families of incarcerated youth in the development of policies and practices in the juvenile justice system was a major focus of the meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, held on May 11, 2012. For more information, see the article, "Engaging Families as Valued Partners" in this issue of OJJDP News @ a Glance.
The council welcomed a new practitioner member, Reginald Dwayne Betts, appointed by the President to the council effective May 10, 2012. This is the first time council membership has included an individual who brings personal experience with the justice system. Mr. Betts is now an author and spokesperson.
Meetings of the council are open to the public. Visit the Web site to learn more about the council and read minutes from past meetings.
The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is an independent body within the executive branch of the federal government operated under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The council's primary functions are to coordinate federal juvenile delinquency prevention programs, federal programs and activities that detain or care for unaccompanied juveniles, and federal programs relating to missing and exploited children.
The council is made up of 22 members13 ex officio and affiliate members and 9 practitioners. The ex officio members are: the Attorney General; the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development, and Labor; the Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Affiliate members are the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, and the Interior, and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of HHS. The nine juvenile justice practitioner members are appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Majority Leader, and the President of the United States.