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Celebrating 40 Years of Working Together for Youth Justice and Safety
OJJDP 40 Years Anniversary logo
On September 7, 1974, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act was signed into law. This landmark legislation established the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and forever changed the way states and communities deal with youth who are at risk and youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system. Learn more about the JJDP Act. Watch Administrator Robert L. Listenbee’s video message on the 40th Anniversary of the JJDP Act.
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Justice Department Launches National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice

On September 18, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the launch of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. Funded through a 3-year $4.75 million grant, the initiative will provide training to law enforcement and communities on bias reduction and procedural fairness and will apply evidence-based strategies in five pilot sites around the country. It will also establish a clearinghouse where information, research, and technical assistance are readily accessible to law enforcement, criminal justice practitioners, and community leaders.

Recent protests in Ferguson, MO, following an officer-involved shooting of an unarmed teen have brought national attention to the importance of strong police-community relationships, which has been a priority for the Justice Department under Attorney General Holder.

The grant has been awarded to a consortium of national law enforcement experts led by John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Yale Law School, the Center for Policing Equity at UCLA, and the Urban Institute make up the rest of the consortium. The initiative will be guided by a board of advisors that will include national leaders from law enforcement, academia, and faith-based groups, as well as community stakeholders and civil rights advocates.

The initiative will complement and be advised by other Justice Department components, such as the Office of Justice Programs, OJJDP, Community Oriented Policing Services, the Civil Rights Division, and the Community Relations Service.

This initiative addresses a recommendation in the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force report released in May. The task force recommended that the Department of Justice establish a vehicle to build capacity in communities and build an evidence base around enhancing procedural justice, reducing bias, and supporting reconciliation in communities where trust has been harmed.

Resources:

More information about the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice and My Brother’s Keeper is available online.

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OJJDP’s Smart on Juvenile Justice Awards Promote Systemwide Reform and Reduction of Racial and Ethnic Disparities

On September 26, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder announced more than $2.2 million in awards through OJJDP’s new Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative to promote systemwide juvenile justice reform and bolster efforts to end racial and ethnic disparities. The Attorney General made the announcement during remarks delivered at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.

Under the initiative’s Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform, three states—Georgia, Hawaii, and Kentucky—are working with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project to provide diversion alternatives, community-based options, and other reforms aimed at reducing recidivism, decreasing correctional spending, and improving public safety while reducing the number of youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. To support this work, OJJDP is awarding funding to the Crime and Justice Institute of Community Resources for Justice to provide training and technical assistance that will help these states implement important policy changes.

OJJDP is awarding more than $1 million to the W. Haywood Burns Institute and the Development Services Group to implement Smart on Juvenile Justice’s Technical Assistance To End Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System. Education, training and technical assistance, and other information resources will be provided to state, local, and tribal governments and private organizations on the most promising systemic and programmatic techniques for addressing disproportionate minority contact and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.

A third set of Smart on Juvenile Justice awards will support OJJDP’s Juvenile Prosecution Curriculum Development, Training, and Technical Assistance Program. Awards are being funded to Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform to provide comprehensive training for juvenile justice prosecutors to acquaint them with the latest information in forensic science, adolescent development, the neurosciences, and the prosecution of sexual assault cases.

"These are promising new steps that will help us to advance our important—and in many cases life-changing—work in the juvenile justice arena," Attorney General Holder said.

Resources:

The Attorney General’s remarks may be accessed online. For more information about the Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform,Technical Assistance To End Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System, and the Juvenile Prosecution Curriculum Development, Training, and Technical Assistance Program solicitations, visit the OJJDP Web site.

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OJJDP, MacArthur Foundation Renew Partnership With $2 Million Commitment To Advance Juvenile Justice Reform

In a renewed public–private partnership, OJJDP and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are jointly providing $2 million to advance juvenile justice reform.

"Every youth who enters the juvenile justice system deserves to be treated fairly and to receive the help he or she needs," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee. "Together, our Office and the MacArthur Foundation are working with states and communities to build a better future for youth."

OJJDP and the MacArthur Foundation will each provide two years of funding at $125,000 per year to four organizations—the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP); the National Youth Screening and Assessment Project (NYSAP) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) at Policy Research, Inc.; and the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice (RFK NRCJJ)—to support innovative reforms in treatment and services for youth.

Through this partnership, established in 2011, OJJDP and MacArthur will support training and technical assistance for states and local governments to meet the mental health needs of system-involved youth, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and promote coordination and integration for youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The funding will support the following projects:

"This work will help secure and build on important, developmentally appropriate advances in juvenile justice reform accomplished through the Models for Change initiative," said Laurie Garduque, MacArthur’s Director of Justice Reform. "This work builds on innovations proven effective in more than 35 states and is critical to continuing the momentum for improving outcomes for youth in contact with the law."

Resources:

More information about the MacArthur Foundation’s juvenile justice work and the foundation’s Models for Change initiative is available online.

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OJJDP Partners With HUD To Improve Civil Legal Aid for Youth

On September 16, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder announced a partnership between OJJDP and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD will offer new grants to support collaborations between HUD-funded organizations, civil legal aid programs, and public defender offices.

The grant-funded collaborations will focus on expunging and sealing juvenile records—improving the chances that reentering youth will be able to obtain degrees, find work, and secure housing. The announcement was made during remarks delivered at the Legal Services Corporation’s 40th anniversary celebration in Washington, DC.

Approximately 60,000 youth are confined in juvenile detention and correctional facilities with hundreds of thousands more on probation. Contact with the juvenile justice system has a significant impact on adolescents’ development and their prospects for long-term success. As a result, the juvenile reentry process should start before youth return to their communities, as soon as they come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

In addition to focusing on the expungement and sealing of juvenile records, the juvenile reentry legal assistance program will develop collateral consequences checklists and training on collateral consequences for children who have been in the juvenile justice system, their parents and guardians, and for stakeholders in the juvenile justice system, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and others.

The approximately $1.8 million allocated to the program will support these activities through Public Housing Authorities working with stakeholders in the community, including courts, prosecutors, public defenders, and community-based organizations.

"At the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, we believe that involvement with the justice system should benefit young people and not create additional obstacles in their lives," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee. "Through our partnership with HUD, we are providing youth who are returning to their communities from out of home placement with a fresh start and a chance to earn a degree, find work, and secure a place to live."

Resources:

Information about other OJJDP reentry initiatives, including the Second Chance Act Two-Phase Juvenile Reentry Demonstration Program: Planning and Implementation and Second Chance Act Strengthening Relationships Between Young Fathers and Their Children: A Reentry Mentoring Project is available online.

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National Academies Release Implementation Report on Developmental Approaches to Juvenile Justice Reform

Implementing Juvenile Justice ReformThe National Academies' National Research Council has released Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform, an OJJDP-commissioned report that offers a recommended strategic plan for the federal government to support and facilitate developmentally oriented juvenile justice reform.

The report identifies seven hallmarks of an approach to juvenile justice reform that puts into practice what is currently known from research on adolescent development and on the effectiveness of juvenile justice interventions. The following hallmarks provide a template to guide system reform:

The report outlines how these hallmarks of a developmental approach should be incorporated into policies and practices within OJJDP, as well as in actions taken by state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to achieve the goals of the juvenile justice system.

Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and OJJDP, Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform draws on the findings and conclusions of a 2013 National Academies’ report that consolidated in one volume the results of research on adolescent development and the effects of justice system interventions.

"A reliance on detention and incarceration for low-level, nonviolent juvenile offenders does not promote healthy adolescent development and is not effective at reducing recidivism," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee." As the federal agency charged with addressing juvenile delinquency, we at OJJDP are indebted to the National Academies for this set of concrete recommendations, based on careful research and scientific evidence, for reforming our juvenile system."

Resources:

Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform is available on the Web site of the National Research Council.

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National Leadership Summit Sets Agenda for Enhancing School Climate
National Leadership Summit

On October 6–7, 2014, top education and justice officials, youth advocates, and parents from states and localities across the nation convened in Washington, DC, for the National Leadership Summit on School Discipline and Climate. Participants shared their challenges and successes in enhancing school climate, reforming school discipline policies and practices, and reducing student entry into the juvenile justice system. They also developed action plans focused on building political will, leveraging policies and funding, and establishing and maintaining cross-system collaboration. In addition, the summit provided comprehensive information about the technical assistance and financial resources available to assist states and communities in these efforts.

The event was cosponsored by OJJDP, the U.S. Department of Education, the Atlantic Philanthropies, the California Endowment, the  Edward W. Hazen Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The summit featured special information-sharing sessions on how states and localities are putting into action the recommendations of the school discipline guidance package issued in January 2014 by the Departments of Justice and Education; and the recommendations released in June by the Council of State Governments’ school discipline consensus project.

These resources are key components of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, launched by the Departments of Justice and Education in 2011 to end harsh and exclusionary discipline practices that push youth out of school and into the justice system. OJJDP is coordinating the Justice Department’s work on the initiative.

A 2011 statewide study on the impact of school disciplinary practices on students’ academic success and juvenile justice involvement determined that nearly six in ten public school students were suspended or expelled at least once between their seventh- and twelfth-grade school years. The study also found that when a student was suspended or expelled, his or her likelihood of being involved in the juvenile justice system the subsequent year increased significantly. In addition, the study revealed that students who were African American or who qualified for special education services were treated more harshly than were other students.

OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee offered welcoming remarks on the summit’s second day and then cofacilitated an audience feedback session on topics covered during the first day of the summit. The session covered issues such as using data to inform decisionmaking, addressing trauma, and ensuring that policies and practices support a smooth transition for youth returning to school from the juvenile justice system.

The summit was convened as a followup to the 2012 National Leadership Summit on School-Justice Partnerships, organized by the New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children. The 2012 summit, which took place in New York City, brought together juvenile court judges, school administrators, juvenile justice professionals, educators, and researchers from nearly every state and territory to focus attention on the importance of school-justice partnerships and evidence-based strategies that can help students stay in school and out of the juvenile justice system.

Resources:

More information about the Supportive School Discipline Initiative is available on the U.S. Department of Education Web site and in the July/August 2011, May/June 2012, January/February 2014, and May/June 2014 issues of OJJDP News @ a Glance.

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White House Conference Highlights Needs of Families Affected by Incarceration

An estimated 1.7 million youth younger than 18 years old currently have at least one parent in prison in the United States, and millions more have a parent currently in jail. The problems children of incarcerated parents can experience include financial instability, emotional distress, changes in family structure, problems at school, and social stigma. At the same time, 20 percent of youth in custody have or are expecting children. These young parents often require services to assist them in transitioning back to their communities and promoting the health and well-being of their families.

The White House, the U.S. Department of Justice, OJJDP, and other federal agencies are working vigorously across many fronts to help families affected by a parent’s incarceration access the support they need.

On October 8, 2014, the White House Domestic Policy Office and Office of Pubic Engagement in collaboration with OJJDP, the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sponsored an event that highlighted recent developments in the federal government’s work to address the needs of families affected by incarceration as well as a panel discussion on promoting effective policy to address the issue. Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, and Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, offered remarks. The audience also heard from Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler-Fleiss, who spoke on her personal experience as the child of an incarcerated parent.

The event also featured a preview of "Visiting: Through the Youth Lens," a film from Echoes of Incarceration, a documentary initiative produced by youth with incarcerated parents. The project explores the issue of mass incarceration and its effects on families, and creates documentary films told from the life experiences of the filmmakers themselves.

Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Karol V. Mason announced the following new OJP initiatives to address the needs of families impacted by incarceration:

In addition, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, Charles Samuels, announced the creation of a new Reentry Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Pamela Hyde, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at HHS, announced new resources to help incarcerated parents with reentry and navigating the child welfare system.

The event was planned as a followup to the June 2013 White House Champions of Change event that honored individuals who have dedicated themselves to supporting children of incarcerated parents and their caregivers.

Resources:

On October 8, 2014, Roy L. Austin Jr., Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity; and Karol V. Mason, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, posted a blog about the White House event. The blog may be accessed online.

Numerous government agencies provide services that support children who find themselves impacted by the incarceration of a parent. Information about these resources is available at findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/children-of-incarcerated-parents. OJJDP’s report Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents is also available online.

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Five New Youth Violence Prevention Demonstration Sites Selected

National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention

On October 1, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that five cities—Baltimore, MD; Cleveland, OH; Long Beach, CA; Louisville/Jefferson County, KY; and Seattle, WA—had been selected to join the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. The announcement was made during remarks at the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT 25th Anniversary Reception Dinner in Baltimore, MD.

Established at the direction of President Obama in 2010, the forum brings together federal, state, and local partners in a collaborative effort to address youth violence. The other cities in the forum are Boston, MA; Camden, NJ; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Memphis, TN; Minneapolis, MN; New Orleans, LA; Philadelphia, PA; Salinas, CA; and San Jose, CA.

The cities have rallied local stakeholders—police, educators, public health and other service providers, faith and community leaders, parents, and youth—to develop comprehensive strategic plans to combat local youth violence. The cities’ plans are data driven and address youth violence through a range of strategies, including prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry.

The U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor, as well as the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Domestic Policy Council are the forum’s federal partners.

The partners have organized a working session and three summits in Washington, DC, where cities reported on their progress and shared promising strategies. Cities have also been provided with access to technical assistance in developing their plans and identifying and addressing implementation challenges. Forum city site visits and White House-led meetings with the Domestic Policy Council offer support and guidance to cities participating in the initiative.

Resources:

To learn more about the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, read About the Collaboration, review the Logic Model, and visit Forum in the News.

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Upcoming Events

Victim Advocacy Training: November 4–6, 2014

This training, which will be held in Huntsville, AL, is designed for victim advocates who are working with children and families in a Child Advocacy Center setting. The training will include foundational sessions on understanding the criminal justice system, dynamics of child abuse, crisis development and resolution, effective listening techniques, the impact of trauma on a child, the rights of crime victims, cultural considerations, and intervention strategies. Registration information for this event, which is sponsored by the National Children’s Advocacy Center, is available online.

National Youth-At-Risk Conference: November 6–8, 2014

Georgia Southern University logoHosted by the National Youth At-Risk Center of Georgia Southern University, this conference will train adults who serve youth to create safe, healthy, caring, and intellectually empowering educational environments. Participants will learn about current research-based educational programs and strategies that empower young people to overcome at-risk conditions that may threaten their safety, health, emotional needs, or academic achievement. Registration information for the conference, which will be held in Las Vegas, NV, is available online.

2014 American Society of Criminology Meeting: November 19–22, 2014

The theme for the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC’s) 2014 meeting, to be held in San Francisco, CA, is "Criminology at the Intersections of Oppression." The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency. The society’s membership includes practitioners, academicians, and students from the many fields of criminal justice and criminology. Registration information is available online.

10th Annual Global Youth Justice Training Institute: December 2–4, 2014

Teen, Peer, Youth Student CourtGlobal Youth Justice will host its 10th Global Youth Justice Training Institute in Las Vegas, NV. Participants will learn strategies to establish or enhance local youth justice diversion programs through teen, student, youth, and peer courts and peer juries. Topics will include training youth and adult volunteers; providing quality community services, programs, and referrals; conducting mock family intake meetings; grant writing; funding opportunities; and more. Registration information is available online.

ZERO TO THREE’s 29th National Training Institute: December 10–12, 2014

'Zero to Three' National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and FamiliesThe National Training Institute, to be held in Fort Lauderdale, FL, is ZERO TO THREE’s annual multidisciplinary training event for experienced early childhood professionals. The institute has been developed to meet the learning and networking needs of those working with infants and toddlers in child welfare, early childhood education, early intervention, mental health, parent education, and pediatrics. Registration information is available online.

14th National Indian Nations Conference: December 11–13, 2014

Featuring the theme "Generational Voices Uniting for Safety, Justice, and Healing," this conference will be held on the reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, CA. The event is being coordinated by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute under a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime. The conference will provide opportunities for tribal, state, and federal participants to share knowledge, experiences, and ideas for developing and improving strategies and programs that serve the unique needs of crime victims in Indian country. More information is available online.

29th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment:
January 26–29, 2015

The objective of the San Diego International Conference is to develop and enhance professional skills and knowledge in the prevention, recognition, assessment, and treatment of all forms of child and family maltreatment, as well as to enhance investigative and legal skills. Topics to be highlighted include mental health and trauma, forensic interviewing, investigations, research, child welfare, domestic violence, and global issues and perspectives. Registration information is available online.

The 2015 National Mentoring Summit: January 28–30, 2015

National Mentoring Summit logoThis annual event, to be held in Washington, DC, is the only national forum that brings together practitioners, researchers, corporate partners, government and civic leaders, national youth-serving organizations and the network of affiliate Mentoring Partnerships to explore and advance mentoring’s positive impact on individuals and communities. Browse the workshop offerings that explore this year’s theme, "Expanding the Mentoring Effect." Registration information is available online.

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News in Brief

OJJDP Awards $62 Million in Grants To Support Youth Mentoring Programs

OJJDP has awarded more than $41 million in grants to national organizations to strengthen, expand, and implement youth mentoring activities and youth development programming throughout the nation. An additional $21 million in grants was awarded to not-for-profit mentoring organizations.

"Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up with the guidance and support of a caring adult," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee. "Mentoring programs, such as the ones that OJJDP is supporting this year, help make these healthy and nurturing relationships a reality for thousands of children across the country."

Grant awards were made to the following organizations:

OJJDP Supports School-Justice Partnerships With $1.9 Million Grant

OJJDP has awarded a $1.9 million grant to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) to participate in the School Justice Partnership Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court. OJJDP is coordinating with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to implement this collaboration among schools, mental and behavioral health specialists, law enforcement, and judges to reform school discipline policies to divert youth from the juvenile justice system. NCJFCJ will establish a National Resource Center on School Justice Partnerships to provide research, training, and technical assistance to respond to student behavioral needs.

OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide Adds Three New Literature Reviews

OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide (MPG), an online resource of evidence-based juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and reentry programs, has added three new literature reviews. MPG literature reviews provide practitioners and policymakers with relevant research and evaluations on more than 40 juvenile justice topics and programs. These three literature reviews address:

In addition to literature reviews, MPG offers program profiles, information on program implementation, and resource links.

National Academies Release Guide for Health Care Providers on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors

With support from OJJDP, the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine and National Research Council have released a guide for health care providers who work with children who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing, commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. The guide highlights key terms, risk factors and consequences, emerging service strategies, challenges of providing services, and recommendations for how health care providers can improve the prevention, identification, and response to these crimes.

The guide is the second in a series derived from the OJJDP-commissioned report, Confronting Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States, which provides a comprehensive overview of the issues and recommendations for action.

Advocates for At-Risk and System-Involved Girls Gather for Roundtable Discussion in Washington, DC

On October 14–16, 2014, representatives from OJJDP and existing girls’ alliances, public health and legal experts, and women formerly involved with the juvenile justice system gathered in Washington, DC, for a roundtable meeting designed to catalyze action across the country in support of girls who are at risk of entering, or who are involved in, the juvenile justice system. Organized as part of OJJDP’s National Girls Initiative (originally called the "National Girls Institute"), the meeting focused on policy development and advocacy, training and technical assistance, a toolkit to support those who work with girls, and new opportunities and resources.

"The National Girls Initiative is a high priority at OJJDP because girls are the fastest growing segment of the juvenile justice system," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee. "A high percentage of girls in the system have been exposed to violence and trauma and do not pose a significant public safety risk. Many girls would be far better served in nonresidential treatment facilities close to their own homes. Programs that are good for girls, especially those recovering from exposure to violence, weave together family, community, and systems of care."

Panel Discussion at CJCA Institute Highlights Solitary Confinement

OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee moderating a panel discussion on the impact of isolation practices in confinement facilities for youth.
OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee moderating a panel discussion on the impact of isolation practices in confinement facilities for youth.
On October 2, 2014, OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee moderated a panel discussion on the impact of isolation practices in confinement facilities for youth. The discussion, held at the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators' (CJCA’s) Resource Network for Youth Corrections Leaders and Professionals Leadership Institute in Chicago, IL, focused on the development of leadership necessary to reduce and eliminate the use of isolation, effective alternatives to isolation, cultural change in correctional institutions, and an incentive-based behavior management system. Panel participants included Fariborz Pakseresht, Director, Oregon Youth Authority; Michael Dempsey, Executive Director, Indiana Division of Youth Services; Peter Forbes, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services; and Candice Jones, Director, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.

October Is National Bullying Prevention Month

Preparing and Responding to Cyberbullying: Tips for Law EnforcementNational Bullying Prevention Month unites communities nationwide in activities, education, and awareness building on strategies for addressing bullying. An OJJDP-supported tipcard, "Preparing and Responding to Cyberbullying: Tips for Law Enforcement," was recently released by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The tipcard provides more than 20 recommendations to help law enforcement address and investigate cyberbullying in their communities.

OJJDP is a member of the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention, an interagency effort led by the U.S. Department of Education that works to coordinate policy, research, and communications on bullying topics. For more information on how parents, educators, and youth can work together to stop bullying, visit StopBullying.gov. To learn more about the scope of the problem, predictors of bullying, laws against bullying, and evidence-based programs to prevent and intervene in bullying, see OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide.

Annual Campaign Raises Public Awareness About Suicide Prevention

National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention logoNational Suicide Prevention Week (September 8–14, 2014) is an annual campaign in the United States to raise national awareness and engage parents, educators, medical personnel, the U.S. military, and mental health and juvenile justice professionals in prevention efforts. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans, the second leading cause of death for adults ages 25–34, and the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15–24.

OJJDP strongly supports the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. OJJDP co-leads the alliance's Task Force for Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention was launched in 2010 by then U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and then U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

This public-private partnership advances the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) by championing suicide prevention as a national priority, catalyzing efforts to implement NSSP’s high-priority objectives, and cultivating the resources needed to sustain the progress made.

OJJDP Administrator Participates in Child Cyber Safety Night at the Ballpark

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OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee participated in Child Cyber Safety Night at the Ballpark with the Washington Nationals.
OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, and Special Agent in Charge Tim Gallagher of the FBI Washington Field Office were recognized for their efforts to promote youth safety during Child Cyber Safety Night at the Ballpark with the Washington Nationals.
On September 6, 2014, OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee participated in Child Cyber Safety Night at the Ballpark with the Washington Nationals. This event is the latest effort by the U.S. Department of Justice and its law enforcement and community partners to provide prevention materials to parents and encourage them to speak with their children about online and cell phone safety. This large-scale awareness event is led by INOBTR (I Know Better), a nonprofit organization and OJJDP grantee focused on promoting youth safety. As part of the event, the department received the Washington Nationals Spirit Award. Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Administrator Listenbee, and Special Agent in Charge Tim Gallagher of the FBI Washington Field Office were recognized in an on-field ceremony before the game.

 

OJJDP Recognizes Youth Justice Awareness Month

October is Youth Justice Awareness Month, a time when communities, families, and youth host community-led actions and events that expose the consequences of children being processed in adult court and placed in adult jails and prisons. With events happening throughout the country, Youth Justice Awareness Month provides an opportunity to increase knowledge, build collective action, strengthen relationships with other advocates, and join local advocacy campaigns working to create policy changes.

"Most adult jails or prisons are ill-equipped to meet the needs of children or keep them safe," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee. "For example, while in adult jails and prisons, children are often housed in solitary confinement to protect them from adults. Young people’s brains are still developing, and solitary confinement places them at a much higher risk of psychological damage. Indeed, the vast majority of youth suicides in detention occur in isolation."

In its December 2012 final report, the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, which Administrator Listenbee co-chaired, recommended that the practice of solitary confinement of youth be prohibited.

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New Publications

All OJJDP publications may be viewed and downloaded on the publications section of the OJJDP Web site. Print publications may be ordered online at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Web site.

Coming soon—

Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2012: Selected Findings (National Report Bulletin)
Juvenile Offenders and Victims: National Report Series

The Juvenile Residential Facility Census is conducted biennially by OJJDP. The 2012 census shows that the juvenile offender population dropped 14 percent from 2010 to 2012 to 57,190 offenders younger than 21 on the census date, the lowest number since 1975. For the first time since 2000, more offenders were in local facilities on the census date in 2012 than were in state-operated facilities. The data also describe security features that are used in facilities. Overall, 43 percent of facilities lock youth in their sleeping rooms at least some of the time. Fourteen deaths were reported; five were suicides. Most of those deaths were white non-Hispanic and African American non-Hispanic males. Most of the suicides occurred weeks after the youth’s detainment. Data is also included on tribal facilities. Fifty-one percent of juvenile facilities were publicly operated; they held 69 percent of the juvenile offenders.

Highlights of the 2012 National Youth Gang Survey (Fact Sheet)
Youth Gang Series

This OJJDP fact sheet presents an overview of the nation’s gang problem. Since 1996, the National Gang Center’s National Youth Gang Survey has collected data annually from a large representative sample of local law enforcement agencies. The sample consists of two groups: police departments in cities with more than 50,000 residents along with suburban county police and sheriffs’ departments, and a random sample of police departments in cities with populations between 2,500 and 50,000 along with rural county sheriffs’ departments. Survey findings show that, in 2012, gangs were active in slightly less than 30 percent of the jurisdictions (the lowest point in nearly a decade), attributed partly to the decline in the prevalence rates of gang activity in smaller cities. Nearly 30 percent of responding law enforcement agencies reported gang activity for 2012, concentrated mostly in urban areas. Gang-related homicides increased overall nationally, partly on account of increased reporting by agencies.

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News From the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice

Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice logoThe Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) has submitted its 2013 report to the OJJDP Administrator with recommendations in four areas of major concern to the juvenile justice community:

The report also addresses the need for reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and affirms the important roles OJJDP can play—providing leadership on critical juvenile justice issues and supporting investments in funding to promote effective practices.

An in-person meeting of the FACJJ was held on October 20–21, 2014. Minutes of the meeting will be available on the committee’s Web site in the coming weeks.

FACJJ meetings are open to the public; anyone may register to attend and observe.

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice is a consultative body established by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended (Section 223), and supported by OJJDP. Composed of members of state advisory groups on juvenile justice, the committee advises the President and Congress on matters related to juvenile justice, evaluates the progress and accomplishments of juvenile justice activities and projects, and advises the OJJDP Administrator on the work of OJJDP.

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