Juvenile justice reform

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...

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)...

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...

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...

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) announces the availability of OJJDP News @ a Glance, May/June 2022.

This issue's Message from the Administrator and top story introduce Administrator Liz Ryan, a staunch advocate for juvenile justice reform who joined OJJDP May 16. The newsletter also highlights the Department of Justice’s commemoration of National Missing Children’s Day and the Office’s Court Appointed...

On September 30, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden proclaimed October as National Youth Justice Action Month. The observance brings focus to juvenile justice reform and advancing equity and racial justice. The President's Proclamation refers to OJJDP programs that are designed to achieve these goals. Read the President's proclamation.

"During National Youth Justice Action Month, I call upon states and communities to join me in...