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Juvenile justice reform

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

OJJDP Youth Justice Action Month Webinar, October 3, 2022

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...

OJJDP News @ a Glance, May/June 2022

OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan was sworn in on May 16 by OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon.

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...

Message From the Administrator: Helping Youth Find Positive Paths Forward

June 2022
New OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan outlines her top priorities for the Office—treating children as children, pursuing alternatives to detention so that children can remain at home and in their communities, and providing opportunities for young people who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. A commitment to racial equity and fairness permeates and unites them.

OJJDP FY 2022 Juvenile Justice System Reform and Reinvestment Initiative

Closing Date
Grants.gov Deadline
Application JustGrants Deadline
This program will support states' implementation of innovative and/or research-based, data-informed recidivism-reduction policies, practices, and programs across multiple juvenile justice system components and disciplines.

October is National Youth Justice Action Month

National Justice Action Month 2021
©CURAphotography/Shutterstock.com (see reuse policy).

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...

Apply Now to Transforming the Youth Justice System Program

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR), in partnership with the Center for Children's Law and Policy, is accepting applications for its new program, Transforming the Youth Justice System: Promoting Equity, Community, and Wellbeing for Youth of Color.

OJJDP News @ a Glance, May/June 2021

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) announces the availability of OJJDP News @ a Glance, May/June 2021. This issue's Message From the Acting Administrator focuses on National Drug Court Month.

OJJDP FY 2021 Juvenile Justice System Reform Initiative

Closing Date
The Juvenile Justice System Reform Initiative will support states to implement sustainable, research-based, and data-informed recidivism reduction policies, practices, and programming, and the strategic reinvestment of cost savings into effective prevention and intervention programs.