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Juvenile corrections

April is Second Chance Month

OJJDP Observes Second Chance Month

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) highlights Second Chance Month 2023. This observance helps individuals, communities, and agencies across the country recognize the importance of reentry and their role in supporting the safe and successful reentry...

Bureau of Justice Statistics Releases Report on Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has released Facility Characteristics of Sexual Victimization of Youth in Juvenile Facilities, 2018 – Statistical Tables. The report presents statistical tables of youth-reported sexual victimization rates by juvenile facility characteristics, including organizational structure, staff, and atmosphere. These tables supplement the full BJS report Sexual Victimization Reported by Youth in Juvenile Facilities, 2018. 

The report also provides facility-reported data on staff hiring in...

Serving Justice-Involved Youth at Home, With Community Support

Blog by OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan

By Liz Ryan, OJJDP Administrator

October is Youth Justice Action Month, a national observance underscoring the need for equity in the juvenile justice system and for centering directly impacted youth and their families to advance youth justice. OJJDP is committed to transforming the juvenile justice system to promote the welfare of all youth. Three priorities guide our work: 1) Treat children as children. 2) Serve...

Treating Children as Children

Blog by OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan

By Liz Ryan, OJJDP Administrator 

October is Youth Justice Action Month, a national observance underscoring the need for equity in the juvenile justice system and for centering directly impacted youth and their families to advance youth justice. OJJDP is committed to transforming the juvenile justice system to promote the welfare of all youth. Three priorities guide our work: 1) Treat children as children. 2)...

REMINDER: Register for OJJDP’s Youth Justice Action Month Webinar

Join OJJDP on October 3, 2022, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET for "Youth Justice Action Month: Creating Brighter Futures for Our Nation’s Youth."

This webinar—hosted by OJJDP in partnership with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the National Juvenile Justice Network—will highlight Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM), recognized each October to raise awareness about supporting justice-involved youth.

During the webinar, OJJDP Administrator...

New OJJDP Initiative Promotes Community-Based Alternatives to Youth Incarceration

Blog by OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan

By Liz Ryan, OJJDP Administrator 

Far too many young people are housed in juvenile justice facilities, and often their detention does more harm than good. Community-based alternatives—working with youth where they live—achieve better results than warehousing youth in prisons. 

We currently spend an estimated $5 billion per year to incarcerate children. And research shows that locking up kids doesn’t work. This money is better spent...