U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Shay Bilchik, Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BJA NIJ OJJDP BJS OVC

Accountability-Based Sanctions

The 104th Congress allocated $16.5 million in Fiscal Year 1997

funds to support Innovative Local Law Enforcement and Community Policing (ILLECP) programs in States that provide assurance

that “the State has in effect (or will have in effect within one year

of application) policies and programs that ensure that juveniles

are subject to accountability-based sanctions for every act for

which they are adjudicated delinquent.” The purpose of this Fact

Sheet is to provide information on the accountability-based

sanctions (ABS) requirement of the ILLECP program.

Conceptual Framework

For States that administer Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention (JJDP) Act Formula Grant funds, the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) generally defines

ABS, for the purposes of the ILLECP program, as “any service,

sanction, or juvenile offender option that juvenile offenders are

subject to and whose primary goal is to hold adjudicated juvenile

offenders responsible for their delinquent conduct.” Thus, any

service, sanction, juvenile offender option, legislation, policy, or

program whose primary goal is offender accountability fits the

definition of an accountability-based sanction. States must demonstrate that a system of ABS is in effect (or will be in effect no later

than 1 year from the date of application) in order to be eligible to

receive a supplemental ILLECP Formula Grants program allocation

to support youth-focused community policing programs.

Policies and Programs

The concept of ABS is captured by the system of graduated

sanctions outlined in OJJDP’s Comprehensive Strategy for

Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders (1993), its

Guide for Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious,

Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders (1995), and in the

principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ). These

models emphasize accountability in the following manner:

A system of graduated sanctions provides accountability through:

◆ Immediate sanctions within the community for first-time,

nonviolent offenders.

◆ Intermediate sanctions within the community for more serious

offenders and repeat nonviolent offenders.

◆ Secure care programs for the most serious and violent offenders, including chronic offenders.

◆ Aftercare programs that provide high levels of social control

and treatment services.

Balanced and Restorative Justice is based on the following

principles:

◆ Offender accountability.

◆ Community protection.

◆ Competency development.

◆ Balance between the interests of the community, victim, and

offender.

Services, sanctions, or other dispositional options for juvenile

offenders provide the juvenile court with case-appropriate options

and the juvenile justice community with a powerful conceptual

framework for organizing effective strategies that emphasize

community safety and juvenile offender accountability. In

meeting this requirement, States are asked to describe the

services, sanctions, or other options that are currently available;

identify gaps in services; and enhance the courts’ options for

juvenile offenders.

Meeting the Assurance

In order to demonstrate that an ABS system exists, the State’s

review of existing services, sanctions, and options should include

an analysis of enabling legislation, court rules, and executive

Fact Sheet #58 March 1997

by Mark A. Matese
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orders describing any existing system of graduated sanctions,

BARJ system approach, or other accountability-based policies

and programs. This statewide review should include government

agency responsibilities, ongoing State and local initiatives,

community corrections options, and a private juvenile offender

service provider options inventory. A summary of the State’s

review should be included in a written description of the juvenile

justice system as part of the State’s JJDP Act Three Year Plan.

ILLECP Awards

The availability of Fiscal Year 1997 ILLECP Formula Grant

funds was announced in December 1996. Since then, OJJDP

has conducted training for State juvenile justice specialists

on the ILLECP program application and on youth-focused

community policing program models. Through February, 15

States had submitted applications to OJJDP for ILLECP grants

for youth-focused community policing programs. It is anticipated

that the remaining States will submit applications for 1997

ILLECP Formula Grant supplemental funds as part of their Three

Year JJDP Plans, which are due to OJJDP by March 31, 1997.

For Further Information

Information on graduated sanctions, BARJ, and other accountability-based sanctions programs is available through OJJDP’s

Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, 800–638–8736. Specific State

information may be obtained by contacting your State Juvenile

Justice Specialist. For other questions call OJJDP’s State Relations and Assistance Division, 202–307–5924.

Mark A. Matese serves as Social Science Program Specialist in OJJDP’s

State Relations and Assistance Division.

FS–9758