March | April 2018

A Conversation With OJJDP Administrator Caren Harp

On January 19, 2018, OJJDP welcomed Caren Harp as its new Administrator. Ms. Harp is a former trial lawyer, director of the American Prosecutors Research Institute’s National Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center, and chief of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit in the Family Court Division of the New York City Law Department. Prior to her appointment as OJJDP Administrator, Ms. Harp was an associate professor at Liberty University School of Law.

OJJDP News @ a Glance staff recently sat down with Administrator Harp to discuss her career trajectory, the evolution of her views on juvenile justice, and her goals for the Office.

OJJDP Administrator Caren HarpOJJDP Administrator Caren Harp

What led you to pursue a career in law, and, specifically, in the juvenile justice field?

When I was a teenager living in California, I developed an interest in law after studying government in school. When the American Bar Association sponsored its annual Law Day activities, I signed up to shadow a lawyer who took me to a morning session of the Leslie Van Houten trial in Los Angeles Superior Court. Van Houten was the youngest of the Charles Manson followers on trial for the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. As I remember, Linda Kasabian, another Manson follower, testified that morning. It was fascinating. I was on the edge of my seat all morning. I was hooked.

Except for my time working for the New York City Law Department, I never focused exclusively on juvenile issues. In practice, my juvenile court assignments were one of many courts I covered, including felony criminal dockets. Even at the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), I worked on elder fraud, domestic violence, and sexual assault projects in addition to my juvenile justice work. I think practicing in both juvenile and criminal court at the same time, and seeing the sad trajectory of youth from the juvenile system into criminal court, really informed my belief that we will never get a handle on our adult criminal population until we get a handle on our juvenile population.

Has your position on juvenile justice changed throughout your career? If so, what brought about the change?

It has changed. When I started in the late 1980s, violent crime was at historically high levels, and so much of what happened in court was viewed through the lens of public safety. After I went to work for APRI in the late 1990s, I began focusing more intently on juvenile justice issues. That’s when I began to see the value of a more balanced approach to juvenile justice, and to crime in general. During that time, I came to realize that prosecutors have a duty to both short-term and long-term public safety, and that incarceration addresses the short-term issue, but not the long-term problem. Courts need to resolve cases in balanced ways that protect communities, give victims’ needs high priority, make the individual accountability of offenders a nonnegotiable requirement, and encourage offenders to develop life skills so they can live productive, crime-free lives.

left quoteIf we fail to help children accept responsibility for their conduct in an age-appropriate fashion, we set them up to fail in profound and long-lasting ways.right quote

—Administrator Caren Harp

What are your short- and long-term goals for OJJDP? What impact do you hope your goals will have on the juvenile justice field?

We’ve made adjustments to our vision and mission statements that recapture a balanced approach to juvenile justice. We’re also reworking some of our fiscal year 2018 funding opportunities to reflect the important role of prosecutors in the court system, the need for comprehensive strategies to respond to violent and chronic juvenile offenders, and strategies to reduce gang activity and involvement.

Long term, we are overhauling how we help states comply with the core protections of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act—especially as it relates to reducing disproportionate minority contact (DMC) with the juvenile justice system. Because we are committed to reducing DMC, we are trying something new. Instead of focusing on burdensome data collection requirements, we are going to emphasize intervention and evaluation. We want to partner with states to implement action plans and outcome-based evaluations that have not been part of the DMC requirement before, and we’re optimistic about the success of a strategy that focuses on solutions rather than the process of gathering data.

What would you like people to know about you as OJJDP Administrator?

As OJJDP Administrator, I believe that we should value and accept all youth for who they are and empower them to become law-abiding citizens. An integral part of that responsibility is holding youth accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, some youth will come into contact with the justice system through unfortunate circumstances in their lives. However, these issues do not give them license to harm or victimize others. Circumstances may explain what prompted a young person to act, and they will give the court insight into how to craft a disposition, but they do not excuse behavior. If we fail to help children accept responsibility for their conduct in an age-appropriate fashion, we set them up to fail in profound and long-lasting ways.

All children are capable of overcoming harsh circumstances. With opportunities, hard work, self-discipline, and the guiding hand of a concerned adult, kids can achieve amazing things, and they can do whatever they set their minds to in life.

We have the finest court system in the world. Where there are problems, we work to fix them. Where there are injustices, we seek justice. The court system works best when it adheres to the rule of law, tempers justice with mercy, and deals fairly and equitably with every person brought before the bench. It’s an honor to be a part of the legal profession, and a privilege to serve as Administrator of OJJDP.