On September 30, 2016, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation designating October 2016 as National Youth Justice Awareness Month. “When we invest in our children and redirect young people who have made misguided decisions, we can reduce our overreliance on the juvenile and criminal justice systems and build stronger pathways to opportunity,” said President Obama.
Although significant justice system reforms have been made, much work remains to be done—especially in reducing the disparities experienced by children of color, particularly black and Hispanic males and Native American youth, who remain overrepresented across all levels of the juvenile justice system.
Even though the number of juvenile arrests have fallen sharply over the past decade, approximately 1 million juvenile arrests were made in 2014. The majority of these arrests were for nonviolent crimes. Any involvement with the juvenile justice system, even if a young person is not adjudicated delinquent, can interfere with their ability to become successful and engaged citizens.
Furthermore, on any given day, nearly 51,000 youth are currently held in juvenile justice facilities, even though research has shown that positive outcomes for nonviolent youth and improved public safety are more readily achieved through community-based services, at a fraction of the cost of incarceration.
The United States Constitution guarantees children the right to counsel in juvenile court proceedings. Unfortunately, too many children appear in court without the benefit of counsel. Children deserve attorneys who can represent their expressed interest and protect their due process rights.
—OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee
For more than four decades, OJJDP has worked with states, as well as tribal and local jurisdictions, to prevent delinquency, reduce recidivism, and improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities.
One agency reform effort—the Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative—was specifically acknowledged in the proclamation for its work to:
- Provide job training and substance use disorder treatment and counseling for youth in juvenile facilities.
- Expand the use of effective community-based alternatives to youth detention.
- Screen youth for exposure to violence and trauma that can put them at greater risk of entering the juvenile justice system.
OJJDP’s Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative focuses on implementing statewide juvenile justice reforms that emphasize prevention and cost-effective community-based services as an alternative to out-of-home placement for nonviolent youth.
The proclamation also highlighted the need to provide youth with second chances through reforming the juvenile justice system. “We must make sure youth in every community and from every walk of life can be known for more than their worst mistakes. With enhanced possibilities...they can all thrive and live up to the full measure of their promise,” said President Obama.
In 2016, the Department of Justice awarded $53 million in Second Chance Act grants. OJJDP’s Second Chance grants support community supervision reform and training state and local community supervision agencies; help reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for young fathers and mothers returning to their children, families, and communities; fund implementation of statewide changes to service delivery for youth; and sustain efforts to improve outcomes for juveniles under community supervision.
OJJDP’s ongoing work to address these and other issues related to youth justice includes sponsoring research, providing funding, and implementing initiatives that make a real difference in youth’s lives. The Office’s recently released Youth Justice Reform Framework provides links to programs, research and data, training and technical assistance, and policy guidance documents—including guidance on Girls and the Juvenile Justice System.
Resources:
Visit OJJDP’s National Youth Justice Awareness Month webpage.
On October 19, 2016, the White House and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of the first national campaign to raise awareness, teach skills, and inspire public action to address children’s exposure to violence and childhood trauma. The “Changing Minds” campaign will motivate teachers, coaches, counselors, health professionals, law enforcement officers, social workers, and others who regularly interact with children to take meaningful action in supporting children who may be affected.
Developed through DOJ’s Defending Childhood Initiative, which is administered by OJJDP, the national education campaign features digital and print content intended to reach adults who interact with children and youth in grades K–12. “The path of future health and success is determined at an early age,” said Karol V. Mason, Assistant Attorney General of DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs. “The resources made available through Changing Minds show us the steps we can take to make sure that violence does not dictate the terms of a young person’s life.”
The campaign’s website, ChangingMindsNOW.org, includes actor portrayals of individuals who were exposed as children to violence in their homes and communities, and reunions with the adults who helped them. “Continued exposure to traumatic events is correlated with adverse health, educational, and social outcomes. Consistent interaction with a caring and supportive adult can significantly contribute to resilience and healing,” said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee.
The website also features an informational video that explores the science behind the impact of violence on children’s brain development. The campaign was created in collaboration with Futures Without Violence, the Ad Council, and Wunderman, a digital advertising agency, that developed the campaign pro bono.
Futures Without Violence, a national health and social justice nonprofit organization working to end violence against women and children, has partnered with OJJDP since DOJ released the compelling findings of the first National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence in 2009. The study found that the majority of the children surveyed were exposed to violence in the year prior to the study, either directly or indirectly (i.e., as a witness to a violent act; by learning of a violent act against a family member, neighbor, or close friend; or from a threat against their home or school).
“Domestic violence was common in my home, but I was very fortunate to have a caring and supportive high school counselor who created the opportunity for me to travel abroad for a summer and who arranged for me to meet the recruiter that led to my Harvard College career,” said Administrator Listenbee. “We want to empower millions of teachers, counselors, coaches, police officers, faith leaders, and family friends to develop stable and supportive relationships with children who have experienced violence and trauma and to help them heal and find their way in our complex world.”
Resources:
To access all publications in OJJDP’s National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence series, visit OJJDP’s website.
Learn more about the OJJDP-led Defending Childhood Initiative by visiting the Justice Department’s website.
In fiscal year (FY) 2016, OJJDP awarded approximately $283 million to help at-risk youth, protect children, and improve juvenile justice systems nationwide. The 352 awards were made through discretionary and formula grant funding.
Approximately $243 million in discretionary grants was awarded in FY 2016. OJJDP awarded about $81 million to support youth mentoring programs. More than $28 million was awarded under the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children program, which offers critical intervention and prevention services to families and supports law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels in cases involving missing and exploited children. In addition, the Office distributed $25.6 million to state and local law enforcement agencies under its Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program to support joint federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children and to keep children safe from Internet predators. Also in FY 2016, OJJDP awarded more than $8 million in Second Chance Act funding and nearly $4 million under the Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative to improve outcomes for justice-system involved youth.
Discretionary grants were awarded in a range of other areas, including statewide juvenile justice reform, youth access to legal representation, trauma-informed care, reentry, children’s exposure to violence, youth violence prevention, anti-gang strategies, girls in the juvenile justice system, tribal youth, youth with sexual behavior problems, and youth and family drug courts.
Funding through formula grants is available to states and territories through the state agency designated by the Governor. Juvenile Justice Specialists in each state administer the funding through subgrants to units of local government, local private agencies, and federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native jurisdictions for programs in accordance with legislative requirements. In FY 2016, OJJDP awarded more than $40 million under the Prison Rape Elimination Act and Title II Formula Grants programs.
Resources:
For more information about the Office’s awards, visit OJJDP’s Funding webpage.
Twenty sessions highlighting OJJDP-funded research will be featured at the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC’s) annual meeting on November 16–19, 2016, in New Orleans, LA. ASC is an international organization that promotes scientific and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency.
OJJDP research staff—Brecht Donoghue, Keith Towery, Barbara Tatem Kelley, Jennifer Tyson, and Benjamin Adams—will share recent developments in research that the Office is supporting during the panel “Integrating Social Science, Policy, and Practice in Juvenile Justice: Updates From OJJDP’s Research Program,” and throughout the conference.
In the session “The Model Programs Guide: Translating Evidence-Based Research Into Action-Oriented Steps,” OJJDP and Development Services Group staff will present on a new feature of OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide, the iGuides. These implementation guides help practitioners understand what they need to know about program implementation in order to successfully launch an evidence-based program. Presenters will provide an overview of how the iGuides framework was developed and walk participants through the School-Based Bullying Prevention iGuide.
OJJDP staff will join representatives from the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the Office for Victims of Crime for the roundtable “The Iterative Growth of Translational Criminology at the National Level.” They will discuss the challenges facing federal social science staff working to integrate, disseminate, and diffuse research findings at a national level.
The session “Applying for OJJDP Research Opportunities,” will offer attendees an overview of the OJJDP grants application process, give prospective applicants tips on submitting a successful grant proposal, and provide updates on anticipated research funding opportunities in fiscal year 2017.
During the presentation “Juvenile Justice System Data: How Do We Change the Field?” a member of OJJDP’s research team will discuss the Office’s efforts to collect, analyze, and disseminate national data and statistics. The presenter will also discuss recently launched initiatives to develop models for how data can better serve the information needs of state and local justice agencies.
Other sessions featuring OJJDP-supported research will address youth recidivism, violence in high risk/high need communities, juvenile justice reentry measurement standards, gangs, gun violence, and sex offense policy research, among other topics.
“The American Society of Criminology meeting provides OJJDP with a valuable opportunity to connect with the research field,” said Brecht Donoghue, OJJDP’s Deputy Associate Administrator, Innovation and Research Division. “It’s important for us to learn about what other researchers are doing. We especially want to connect with young researchers, encourage them to take an interest in juvenile justice research, and give them exposure to OJJDP’s resources.”
Resources:
View a complete list of presentations featuring OJJDP-funded research.
To register for this year’s ASC meeting and access program information, visit the ASC website.
On September 26, 2016, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced at the Fourth Annual Violence Reduction Network (VRN) Summit that two new sites—Jackson, MS, and Nashville, TN—have been added to the Violence Reduction Network. VRN is a comprehensive program created by the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Bureau of Justice Assistance to leverage existing DOJ resources in delivering strategic, intensive training and technical assistance in an "all-hands" approach to reducing violence in some of the country’s most violent cities.
When law enforcement and communities present a united front against violence, we can make progress.
— Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
The network has grown from 5 inaugural sites (Camden, NJ; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Oakland/Richmond, CA; and Wilmington, DE) to 15 sites with the addition of the two new cities as well as Compton, CA; Flint, MI; Newark, NJ; Little Rock, AR; and West Memphis, AR, in 2015; and Milwaukee, WI; New Orleans, LA; and St. Louis, MO, earlier in 2016.
OJJDP staff serve as program champions for Newark and Camden, and help these sites navigate the programs and training and technical assistance available through DOJ’s programmatic offices.
“Violent crime tears at the fabric of our common life, so any increase in violent crime is of the deepest concern to me as Attorney General and to the entire Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Lynch. “That is why we put so much time, effort, and funding into helping our state and local partners build their capacity to prevent, respond to, and, ultimately, reduce violent crime.”
According to Attorney General Lynch, several VRN communities have made significant strides:
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New Jersey’s Camden County Police Department reduced its ballistic evidence processing time from 4 to 7 days to within 6 to 8 hours following critical equipment and training from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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Oakland, CA, increased its homicide clearance rate from 57 percent to 74 percent in 1 year by creating space for onsite FBI agents.
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Little Rock, AR, cleared a backlog of more than 1,300 firearms cases with the assistance of the ATF.
Attorney General Lynch upheld cooperation as the hallmark of VRN, noting that the “work we have done together reminds us that we are not helpless—or hopeless—in the face of violence.” To further enhance the network’s violence prevention efforts, the Attorney General announced more than $54 million in grants to law enforcement agencies, research institutions, states, cities, tribes, and local government organizations to support body-worn camera programs and to expand sexual assault kit testing.
Ms. Lynch also announced the launch of the Violence Reduction Clearinghouse, DOJ’s mechanism to extend the reach of VRN and DOJ violence reduction resources to other communities that are facing similar issues. The clearinghouse enables users to add resources to a customized violence reduction toolkit, which can be saved for future access, downloaded, and easily shared with others.
Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason of the Office of Justice Programs announced an additional $13.6 million to help develop innovative, data-driven approaches to crime; reduce and more effectively prosecute gun crimes; and increase public safety through community-based partnerships. Acknowledging that federal funding was only part of the solution, Ms. Mason said, “Success in reducing violence ultimately depends on our ability to work together, to marshal existing resources, and to engage all stakeholders in the work of protecting communities.”
Representatives of DOJ and its federal law enforcement agencies attended the 2-day summit alongside U.S. Attorneys, police chiefs, sheriffs, mayors, and local leaders from the VRN sites.
Resources:
Learn more about the Violence Reduction Network.
For more information about OJJDP’s youth violence prevention and anti-gang initiatives, visit the Office’s website.
To read a press release about the announcement of the two new VRN sites, visit DOJ’s website.
International Bullying Prevention Conference: November 6–8, 2016
Sponsored by the International Bullying Prevention Association, this conference will take place in New Orleans, LA. The conference, designed for advocates working to reduce incidents of bullying in their schools and communities, will feature sessions on cyberbullying, restorative practices, trauma-informed strategies, identity-based bullying, and the legal aspects of bullying prevention. Student-led sessions will also be offered throughout the conference. Registration information is available online.
National Conference on School Discipline: November 11–13, 2016
This event, to be held in Toronto, Canada, will offer presentations on evidence-based programs as well as promising new approaches developed by practitioners in the area of school discipline. Topics covered during the conference will include supportive, nonexclusionary disciplinary practices; updated tools and strategies for behavior interventions; insights for school administrators from nationally acclaimed programs; working with minority students; legal issues for educators; and ensuring equity in disciplinary practices. Registration information is available online.
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Fall Meeting: November 15, 2016
The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will meet on November 15, 2016, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include presentations on and discussion of federal cross-agency programmatic sustainability, and council member announcements. Visit the website to register by November 8, learn more about the council, and read minutes from past meetings.
Institute for Police-Youth Engagement: November 15–17, 2016
Sponsored by OJJDP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, this 3-day training institute is designed to immerse law enforcement leaders in best practices and innovative approaches on how to improve interactions between youth and law enforcement while effectively contributing to juvenile justice reform. Topics include Adolescent Development and the Effects on Policing; Children Exposed to Violence; Implicit Bias and Disproportionate Minority Contact; Law Enforcement and School Collaborations; The Police Leader’s Role in Advocating for Youth; and Needs Assessment, Collaboration, and Action Planning. The institute will take place in Louisville, KY. More information is available online.
American Society of Criminology Meeting: November 16–19, 2016
The theme for the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC's) 2016 meeting, to be held in New Orleans, LA, is “The Many Colors of Crime and Justice.” ASC is the largest professional criminological society in the world and includes practitioners, academicians, and students in the fields of criminal justice and criminology. Read the article “OJJDP Research To Be Highlighted at American Society of Criminology Meeting” for information on sessions highlighting OJJDP-funded research this conference. The preliminary program and registration information are available online.
National Disproportionate Minority Contact Conference: December 4–6, 2016
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is hosting its 2016 National Disproportionate Minority Contact Conference in Baltimore, MD. The event theme is "Confronting the Crisis: Creating Pathways to a More Equitable Juvenile Justice System." Sessions will explore what other communities can learn from recent events in Baltimore, the role of state and local entities, how communities can take action and gain buy-in for true change, and the importance of youth engagement. Registration information is available online.
ZERO TO THREE’s Annual Conference: December 7–9, 2016
ZERO TO THREE's annual event for early childhood professionals will take place in New Orleans, LA. The conference has been developed to meet the learning and networking needs of those working with infants and toddlers in child welfare, early childhood education, early intervention, mental health, parent education, and pediatrics. Registration information is available online.
Children’s Law Institute: January 11–13, 2017
The Children’s Law Institute, hosted by New Mexico State University’s Southwest Region National Child Protection Training Center, is a multidisciplinary conference that addresses important issues in child welfare and juvenile justice. The institute, which will take place in Albuquerque, NM, will provide educators, child welfare workers, judges, lawyers, juvenile justice personnel, child advocates, and others stakeholders with up-to-date information on the law, best practices, and changing trends locally and nationally, as well as opportunities to network and share information. Registration information is available online.
San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment: January 31–February 3, 2017
The objective of the San Diego International Conference—sponsored by the Chadwick Center for Children and Families —is to develop and enhance professionals' skills and knowledge in the prevention, recognition, assessment, and treatment of all forms of child and family maltreatment as well as enhancing investigative and legal skills. Topics include mental health and trauma counseling, forensic interviewing, child welfare, and substance abuse. Learn more from the conference brochure.
National Mentoring Summit: February 1–3, 2017
Convened by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, this annual event, to be held in Washington, DC, will bring together practitioners, researchers, corporate partners, government and civic leaders, national youth-serving organizations, and the network of affiliate Mentoring Partnerships to explore and advance mentoring’s positive impact on individuals and communities. The theme for this year’s summit is “Building Relationships, Advancing the Movement.” Registration information is available online.
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America National Leadership Forum and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 13th Prevention Day: February 6–9, 2017
"Engineering Healthy Communities," the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s National Leadership Forum, will take place in National Harbor, MD. The forum will provide opportunities for attendees to learn the latest strategies to fight substance abuse and hear from nationally known prevention experts, federal administrators, and policymakers. Sessions will focus on making positive systematic progress, learning from theory about what works, implementing those practices in a comprehensive manner, and resolving substance abuse problems. Registration information is available online.
National Conference on Juvenile Justice: February 12–15, 2017
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ annual conference will take place in New York, NY. Topics include alternatives to detention, trauma-informed justice, crossover youth, dating violence, ending solitary confinement, recidivism, disproportionate minority contact, sex trafficking of minors, juvenile drug courts, and runaways and the Interstate Compact for Juveniles. Registration information is available online.
33rd International Symposium on Child Abuse: March 27–30, 2017
The National Children’s Advocacy Center will host its 33rd International Symposium on Child Abuse in Huntsville, AL. This conference will offer more than 130 workshops. Sessions will address topics such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, polyvictimization, exploitation, intervention, trafficking, and prevention. More information about the symposium is available online.
17th Annual International Family Justice Conference: April 4–6, 2017
The Family Justice Center Alliance will host its annual conference in Milwaukee, WI. This event includes training and interactive peer-to-peer discussions on issues related to the handling of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse, and stalking cases with special focus on law enforcement response, criminal prosecution, civil legal assistance, and advocacy. The Alliance welcomes law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, shelter staff, community-based victim advocates, and all others interested in the future of family violence intervention and prevention. More information about this conference is available online.
Eileen M. Garry Joins OJJDP as Deputy Administrator
OJJDP is pleased to announce that Eileen M. Garry, former Deputy Director for the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has rejoined OJJDP as Deputy Administrator. Ms. Garry served in this capacity prior to joining BJA in 2001, and temporarily reassumed the position in May 2016 on an interim basis to help the Office through the executive selection process.
“In a rather short period of time, Eileen Garry’s leadership has helped to keep OJJDP on an impressive upward trajectory,” said Mr. Listenbee. “Her affection for and commitment to juvenile justice issues and the young people of this country is strong, and I am pleased that she has been such a knowledgeable and helpful partner since her arrival.”
Ms. Garry has spent most of her career in the juvenile and criminal justice arenas. She initially worked as an Office of Justice Programs (OJP) contractor for more than 18 years, and has served in OJP leadership another 20-plus years. Ms. Garry joined BJA in September 2001 and led efforts to process death benefits for public safety officers killed at the World Trade Center on September 11. She went on to lead BJA’s major reorganization in 2002 when the Drug Court Program and Corrections Program offices merged with BJA. She was actively engaged in the Gulf region’s criminal justice infrastructure recovery and relief efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Ms. Garry recently served as Deputy Executive Director of the Indian Law and Order Commission.
Department of Justice Awards Nearly $50 Million To Combat Human Trafficking
On September 29, 2016, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced that the Department of Justice has awarded more than $49 million in grants to combat human trafficking nationwide. The grants will provide comprehensive and specialized services for human trafficking survivors, support task forces that investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases, assist child victims of sex trafficking, and support research and best practices to prevent and respond to such crimes.
“The Department of Justice is committed to fighting human trafficking, a heinous crime that preys on the young and the defenseless,” said Attorney General Lynch. “These critical grants will fund efforts across the country to deepen our understanding of this appalling practice, to bring traffickers to justice, and to support survivors as they heal and begin their lives anew.”
Most of the $3.9 million in fiscal year 2016 funding OJJDP allocated to human trafficking went to mentoring services for youth victims of trafficking. Other funding for these awards comes from the Office for Victims of Crime, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office on Violence Against Women. Visit OJJDP’s Human Trafficking—Services for Survivors webpage for survivor and practitioner resources.
OJJDP Mourns the Passing of Ned Loughran
Edward Loughran. Photo courtesy of the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators.Mr. Loughran led CJCA in partnering with OJJDP on several projects that were critical to the Department of Justice’s mission throughout the past 20 years. They include establishing the Performance-based Standards, developing the Reducing the Use of Isolation toolkit, and delivering the training and technical assistance to the field via the Center for Coordinated Assistance to States.
These efforts have helped guide correctional administrators, staff, and the broader juvenile justice community on improving conditions of confinement and the rehabilitative services facilities offer, and measuring and monitoring the use and impact of confinement and isolation.
Among his many career achievements, Mr. Loughran served as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS) from 1985 to 1993. Under his leadership, DYS was acknowledged by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency for being the most cost effective juvenile justice agency in the nation and having the lowest recidivism rate. Prior to his work in Massachusetts, Mr. Loughran spent 10 years working for the New York State Division of Youth as a program director and as the administrator in the agency’s central office.
“OJJDP has lost a true friend and partner,” said OJJDP Administrator Robert Listenbee upon hearing of Mr. Loughran’s passing. “Ned's contributions to advancing juvenile justice reform are singular. His efforts to reduce the practice of isolation and encourage the use of data to improve the care and safety of youth in facilities has had a profound and lasting impact. He will be greatly missed.”Administrator Listenbee Heralds Law Enforcement Heroes Helping Missing and Exploited Children
On September 22, 2016, Office of Justice Programs’ Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason and OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee, attended the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) presentation of the 2016 Heroes’ Awards.
The following law enforcement officers were recognized for their heroic efforts to resolve cases involving missing or sexually exploited children—Homeland Security Investigations special agents Christopher Neville, Henry Cook, and Eli Bupp; Pennsylvania State Trooper Nicholas Cortese; U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Corricelli; Texas Department of Safety Lieutenant Derek Prestridge; Texas Highway Patrol Troopers II Joseph Shafer and Jason Sanchez; and Massachusetts State Police Trooper Dan Herman and Lieutenant Robert Murphy.
“We celebrate the dedicated efforts of men and women who have done so much to make our nation a safer place for our children,” said Administrator Listenbee, at the ceremony held in Washington, DC. “You bring hope where there is pain and sorrow.”
The OJJDP-funded NCMEC collects and distributes data regarding missing and sexually exploited children. In partnership with OJJDP, the center offers critical intervention and prevention services to families and assists law enforcement and child-serving professionals in cases involving missing and exploited children. OJJDP funding for NCMEC in fiscal year 2016 was approximately $28.3 million.
OJJDP Convenes Meeting of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Commanders
On September 28–29, 2016, OJJDP hosted a meeting of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force commanders in Arlington, VA. The 2-day meeting included informational sessions on new technology; news on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s enhancements to the CyberTipline, updates on the center’s Child Victim Identification program and Child Sex Trafficking Team; and presentations and case studies on the latest ICAC investigation strategies. Task Force Commanders also heard from industry representatives with companies such as Apple and Kik about their business processes and their efforts to address online child exploitation.
Approximately 75 attendees were present, including 61 ICAC task force commanders, ICAC training and technical assistance providers, and OJJDP staff. In his remarks, Administrator Listenbee discussed the scope of the national child exploitation problem, successes, and challenges—such as continually evolving technology and social media platforms that impact ICAC investigations and create a constant need for training.
“You work with some of the best forensic and investigative technology available, but our strength is in our teamwork and dedication to our vision” said Mr. Listenbee. “By any measure you wish to choose, the ICAC program has made a difference in protecting the safety and well-being of this nation’s children.”
The OJJDP-sponsored ICAC Task Force program was established to combat the online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography. Since 1998, ICAC task forces have reviewed more than 580,000 complaints of alleged child sexual victimization resulting in the arrest of more than 60,000 individuals.
OJJDP Proposes New Formula Grants Regulations
In August 2016, OJJDP proposed new formula grant regulations to help states better meet the mandates established in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Published in the Federal Register for public comment, the proposed regulations include changes to eliminate subjectivity in the process for determining whether a state or territory has complied with the Act's core requirements to deinstitutionalize status offenders, separate juveniles from adults in secure facilities, remove juveniles from adult jails and lockups, and set clear numerical standards to determine compliance. Both the JJDPA and its accompanying regulations provide protections for youth currently involved with or at risk of coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. The Formula Grant program provides formula grant awards to states to support their juvenile delinquency prevention programs and improve their juvenile justice systems.
OJJDP-Sponsored Report Examines Judicial Model To Eliminate School Pathways to System Involvement
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has released the OJJDP-funded Report on the Evaluation of Judicially Led Responses to Eliminate School Pathways to the Juvenile Justice System. The report discusses findings from an evaluation of a judicially led collaborative model that brings together critical stakeholders such as schools, behavioral health experts, and law enforcement to reduce referrals of youth to juvenile courts for school-based behaviors and disciplinary infractions. The report also contains recommendations for future research and focused data collection.
National Institute of Corrections Reports on Increase of Girls in Adult Correctional Facilities
The National Institute of Corrections, in collaboration with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, has released No Place for Youth: Girls in the Adult Justice System—Gender-Responsive Strategies for Justice-Involved Women and Girls. The report summarizes current research, includes input from practitioners, and offers recommendations for improving conditions and outcomes for girls who are sentenced to adult facilities. The report also highlights challenges administrators and justice-involved girls face when youth are transferred to the adult criminal justice system.
October Is National Bullying Prevention Month
Every October is observed across the country as National Bullying Prevention Month, and OJJDP has a number of resources that help to raise awareness about the prevalence of bullying and its impact on youth.
OJJDP’s School-Based Bullying Prevention Implementation Guide (iGuide) is a research-based resource to assist school personnel, students, parents, and other practitioners working with youth with creating safe school environments through implementing school-based bullying prevention programs. The iGuide provides information on needs assessment tools, ways to analyze the problem, evidence-based programs to prevent and intervene in bullying, and guidance on gaining support for prevention program implementation. There is also additional information about the scope of the problem, predictors of bullying, and laws against bullying on OJJDP's Model Programs Guide website.
The Role of Technology in Youth Harassment Victimization—a joint publication from OJJDP and the National Institute of Justice—examines technology-involved harassment within the broader context of other types of youth victimization to improve current policies and practices regarding youth victimization. The data reveal that mixed-peer harassment (involving both in-person and technology-based elements) is the most traumatic for victims, especially those victimized in multiple ways in the past and facing numerous stressors in their present lives. This research makes an important contribution as one of the first national studies to provide detailed incident-level data on the role of online technology in youth harassment and to explore the connection between harassment victims’ experiences and prior victimizations across a range of domains. These findings point to several important areas for future inquiry and for policy and practice.
To learn more about bullying prevention and to access helpful resources, including webinars, visit StopBullying.gov.
All OJJDP publications may be viewed and downloaded on the publications section of the OJJDP website. Print publications may be ordered online at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service website.
Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2014: Selected Findings
(Bulletin)
NCJ 250123
Conducted biennially by OJJDP, the Juvenile Residential Facility Census collects information about facilities in which youth charged with or adjudicated for law violations are held. Findings from the 2014 census show that the population of justice system-involved youth dropped 11 percent from 2012 to 2014, to the lowest number since 1975. More of these youth were in local facilities on the census day in 2014 than were in state-operated facilities, continuing a trend that began with the 2012 census. The data also describe the range of services that facilities provide to youth in their care. Almost all facilities (87 percent) reported that a portion of all residents attended some type of school. Most responding facilities routinely evaluated all residents for substance abuse (74 percent), mental health needs (58 percent), and suicide risk (90 percent).
View and download this publication.
Coming Soon—
The Role of Technology in Youth Harassment Victimization (Bulletin)
This bulletin discusses key findings from the National Institute of Justice-sponsored Technology Harassment Victimization study. It is a follow-up study to the OJJDP’s second National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV II). The study examines technology-involved harassment within the context of other types of youth victimization and risk factors to improve current policy and practice regarding the issue. Of the 791 respondents, 230 (34 percent) reported 311 unique harassment incidents in the past year. Sixty-one percent of harassment victims were boys and 60 percent were white and non-Hispanic. Youth who experienced mixed forms of harassment said they could not get away from the harassment because they were being victimized across multiple environments—at school, at home, and with online technology. The perpetrators were often current or past friends or romantic partners and thus more likely to know personal details about their victims. Texting was the predominant type of technology used in mixed-harassment incidents.
Delinquency Cases Involving Hispanic Youth, 2013 (Bulletin)
This bulletin provides an overview of juvenile court handling of delinquency cases involving Hispanic youth. In 2013, 53 percent of all delinquency cases involving Hispanic youth were petitioned to court for formal case processing. Of petitioned delinquency cases involving Hispanic youth, 62 percent resulted in the youth being adjudicated delinquent. Property offenses accounted for the largest proportion of Hispanic cases in 2013; cases involving person offenses constituted a smaller proportion of the caseload (32 percent and 21 percent respectively). Larceny–theft offenses accounted for the largest proportion of cases involving Hispanic females, followed by disorderly conduct and simple assault offenses (39 percent, 36 percent, and 35 percent, respectively). Youth age 15 or younger accounted for more than 60 percent of disorderly conduct cases involving Hispanic youth.