In FY 1998, OJJDP began administering a new $250 million block grant program designed to encourage States and communities to develop reforms that hold young offenders accountable for their actions. Congress created the JAIBG program in the FY 1998 Appropriations Act. OJJDP allocated $5.25 million for program administration; $7.5 million for research, evaluation, and demonstration programs; $5 million for training and technical assistance; and $232.25 million for block grants to State and local governments. (This chapter discusses only the block grants portion of the program. Other JAIBG activities are discussed in chapter 1 and chapter 6.)

Demonstrating a strong commitment to working with States and local communities in efforts to ensure that young offenders are held accountable at every stage of the juvenile justice system, OJJDP moved quickly to implement the JAIBG program and to award FY 1998 block grants. During FY 1998, each of the 56 eligible jurisdictions (States, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia) received JAIBG funds. (Palau is not eligible to receive funds.) Allocations ranged from $1.2 million (Virgin Islands) to $22.5 million (California). Absent a waiver, the States are required to distribute at least 75 percent of their block grants to local jurisdictions.

To qualify for a block grant, States must certify that they have considered (or have adopted or will consider within 1 year) State laws, policies, or procedures that address four specific accountability-based system changes that would:

• Authorize prosecutors to charge youth age 15 or older who are accused of committing serious violent crimes as if they were adult criminal offenders.

• Establish graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders for every delinquent act (including probation violations) and escalate these sanctions for each subsequent more serious delinquent offense or probation violation.

• Treat juvenile delinquency records for felony adjudications in the same manner as adult records, including submitting such records to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• Ensure that juvenile court judges are not prohibited from issuing court orders that require parents or guardians to supervise juvenile offenders.

States can use JAIBG funds for 12 purpose areas:

• Purpose Area 1: Building, expanding, renovating, or operating temporary or permanent juvenile correction or detention facilities, including training of personnel.

• Purpose Area 2: Developing and administering accountability-based sanctions for juvenile offenders.

• Purpose Area 3: Hiring additional juvenile judges, probation officers, and court-appointed defenders, and funding pretrial services for juveniles, to ensure the smooth and expeditious administration of the juvenile justice system.

• Purpose Area 4: Hiring additional prosecutors so that more cases involving violent juvenile offenders can be prosecuted and backlogs reduced.

• Purpose Area 5: Providing funding to enable prosecutors to address more effectively problems related to drugs, gangs, and youth violence.

• Purpose Area 6: Providing funding for technology, equipment, and training to assist prosecutors in identifying violent juvenile offenders and expediting their prosecution.

• Purpose Area 7: Providing funding to enable juvenile courts and juvenile probation offices to be more effective and efficient in holding juvenile offenders accountable and in reducing recidivism.

• Purpose Area 8: Establishing court-based juvenile justice programs that target young firearms offenders through the creation of juvenile gun courts for the adjudication and prosecution of these offenders.

• Purpose Area 9: Establishing drug court programs to provide continuing judicial supervision over juvenile offenders with substance abuse problems and to integrate administration of other sanctions and services.

• Purpose Area 10: Establishing and maintaining interagency information-sharing programs that enable the juvenile and criminal justice systems, schools, and social services agencies to make more informed decisions regarding the early identification, control, supervision, and treatment of juveniles who repeatedly commit serious delinquent or criminal acts.

• Purpose Area 11: Establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs that work with juvenile offenders who are referred by law enforcement agencies, or programs that are designed (in cooperation with law enforcement officials) to protect students and school personnel from problems related to drugs, gangs, and youth violence.

• Purpose Area 12: Implementing a policy of controlled substance testing for appropriate categories of youth in the juvenile justice system.

States have been very active in establishing State plans and priorities for the JAIBG program and in helping units of local government to qualify for subgrant awards. The first year of implementation for any new program is full of obstacles at the Federal, State, and local levels. These obstacles must be overcome before the program becomes fully operational. Within the first 6 to 8 months of receiving JAIBG awards, States have made excellent progress in facilitating funding to units of local government, as demonstrated in the following status summary:

• Planning Stage: 12 States are still in the process of planning and organizing their policies and procedures for program implementation.

• Early Stage: 7 State coordinators have developed plans for proceeding and are mailing notifications to local units of government regarding the availability of funds.

• Awaiting Responses: 15 State coordinators have mailed information to eligible local units of government and are awaiting responses regarding their participation and/or proposed use of funds. Most of the jurisdictions in this category expected responses by March 1999.

• Reviewing Responses: 11 State coordinators have received proposals from units of local government and are in the process of reviewing them in accordance with the guidelines established for the JAIBG program.

• Funds Allocated: 10 State coordinators have indicated that their States have made awards to fund JAIBG programs at the local level.

OJJDP Annual Report 1998	October 1999