U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

OfficE Of JUvENiLE JUsTicE ANd dELiNqUENcy PREvENTiON 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 
2008 
annual rePOrt 

Office Of Juvenile Justice and delinquency PreventiOn 

J. Robert Flores, Administrator 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

this report covers activities undertaken by the Office of Juvenile Justice and delinquency Prevention 


during fiscal year 2008 (October 1, 2007–september 30, 2008)
 

ncJ 225036
 
U.S. Department of Justice
 

Office of Justice Programs
 

810 Seventh Street NW. 

Washington, DC 20531 

Michael B. Mukasey 

Attorney General 

Jeffrey L. Sedgwick 

Assistant Attorney General 

J. Robert Flores 

Administrator
 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
 

Office of Justice Programs 

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp 

Photos used in this Report: Copyright © 2008 Getty Images, Photodisc, and Shutterstock. Photo on page 6 is 

courtesy of the White House. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice 

Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the 

Community Capacity Development Office; the National Institute of Justice; the Office for Victims 

of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and 

Tracking (SMART).
The 2008 Annual Report highlights the important work carried out by the Office of Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) dedicated men and women in partnership 

with States, localities, and talented individuals across our country. As I end my tenure, I am 

pleased to be able to report success in difficult areas such as reducing youth gang activity, 

improving child safety, developing new tools to enable States to significantly reduce disproportionate minority contact, and increased partnerships and collaboration between Federal 

agencies in addressing the needs of youth. 

fOreWOrd 

Across the Federal Government, hundreds of billions of dollars are committed to support disadvantaged children and families. The share of those funds focused on juvenile justice, however, remains limited. Achieving the success that all of us desire will require increased partnership and a growing awareness that those who care for children must address “precursor” 

issues—education, family strength, health, hunger, and community safety. For that reason, in 

fiscal year (FY) 2008, I continued to work through the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice 

and Delinquency Prevention to share funding, support cross-agency efforts, and keep prevention as a high priority. We have developed many effective tools and strategies to address 

juvenile delinquency—from the highly functioning Council to the SMART geospatial mapping 

tool, a Web-accessible application that communities can use to position local resources to help 

prevent crime and delinquency. OJJDP also has created the Model Programs Guide, which 

provides proven strategies for addressing a range of juvenile justice issues. These and other 

resources described throughout this Report will provide strong support for OJJDP's ongoing 

mission and new initiatives in FY 2009 and beyond. 

This Report describes the important work of faith-based and small community organizations 

on everything from mentoring youth in detention to helping gang-involved youth. Their work 

demonstrates the power we can harness from people who live and work in the communities 

where the needs are greatest. We need every hand at the tasks before us, and this work demonstrates that these partners can provide invaluable assistance, which should be continued in the 

years to come. 

While challenges lie ahead, we can and should recognize where we have succeeded, and work 

to expand and export those programs and practices that have shown positive outcomes. At the 

same time, we must also be willing to abandon those efforts that are not successful and harm 
 

 

the youth we seek to save. Therefore, OJJDP has continued to evaluate programs and initiatives and has not devoted any discretionary funds to boot camps or programs that fail to yield 

positive results year after year. 

Our strong record in FY 2008 reflects the commitment of dedicated professionals, generous 

volunteers, and caring families across the country. We dedicate this Report to them, and look 

forward to continued progress in addressing the needs of America’s children. 

J. Robert Flores 

Administrator

 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
 

abOut OJJdP 

the Office of Juvenile Justice and delinquency Prevention (OJJdP) was 

established by congress through the Juvenile Justice and delinquency Prevention 

(JJdP) act of 1974, Public law 93–415, as amended. a component of the 

Office of Justice Programs within the u.s. department of Justice, OJJdP works to 

prevent and control juvenile delinquency, improve the juvenile justice system, and 

protect children. 

Mission Statement 

OJJdP provides national leadership, coordination, and the resources to prevent 

and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJdP supports states 

and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and 

coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile 

justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable, and 

provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles 

and their families. 

Organization 

OJJdP is composed of the Office of the 

administrator, three program divisions 

(child Protection, demonstration Programs, 

and state relations and assistance), the 

Office of Policy development (including 

the communications unit), and the 

Grants Management unit. appendix a 

summarizes each component’s role.
 

cHaPter 1: Serving Children, Families, and Communities: Major Accomplishments ............ 2 

Girls Study Group ........................................................................ 4 

Electronic Mapping—the SMART System ................................................... 4 

Faith-Based Activities ..................................................................... 6 

Helping America’s Youth .................................................................. 6 

Project Safe Childhood .................................................................... 7 

Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative ........................................................ 8 

table Of cOntents 

Mentoring ............................................................................... 9
 

Enhancing Efficiency ...................................................................... 9
 

cHaPter 2 : Forming Partnerships To Prevent and Intervene in Delinquency................... 14
 

Faith-Based and Community Initiatives..................................................... 16 


Anti-Gang Initiatives ..................................................................... 18
 

Mentoring Activities ..................................................................... 24
 

Juvenile Drug Court Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
 

Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program ............................................ 29
 

Juvenile Integrated Information Sharing .................................................... 30
 

Tribal Youth Program..................................................................... 32
 

Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention ......................... 36
 

cHaPter 3 : Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System Through the JJDP Act .................. 38
 

Formula Grants Program ................................................................. 38
 

Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Program............................................... 45
 

Title V Community Prevention Grants Program ............................................. 48 


Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program ............................................ 52
 

cHaPter 4 : Defending Children Against Victimization ...................................... 56
 

Project Safe Childhood ................................................................... 57
 

Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces ............................................... 59 


Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children ................................................ 60
 

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ........................................... 62
 

Missing Children’s Day................................................................... 63
 

AMBER Alert ........................................................................... 64
 

Children’s Advocacy Centers ............................................................. 66
 

Safe Start Initiative ....................................................................... 68
 

Court Appointed Special Advocates Program................................................ 69
 

cHaPter 5 : Providing Resources and Information to the Juvenile Justice Field................. 72
 

Sharing Research Findings ................................................................ 72
 
Statistical Briefing Book................................................................... 77
 

OJJDP Web Site .......................................................................... 78
 

Electronic Newsletter..................................................................... 79
 

JUVJUST................................................................................ 80
 

Publications ............................................................................. 80
 

aPPendixes
 

Appendix A: OJJDP Organization .......................................................... 87
 

Appendix B: State Compliance With JJDP Act Core Requirements .............................. 89
 
CHAPTER 1
 
 

 

2 

CHAPTER 1	 Serving Children, 

Families, and Communities: 

Major Accomplishments 

The Nation’s young people face many obstacles on their journey to adulthood. At the 

same time, they have many opportunities not available to earlier generations. One of 

the principal responsibilities of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

(OJJDP) is to help ensure that those opportunities remain available and continue to grow to meet 

the ever-changing needs of the country’s young people. 

During fiscal year (FY) 2008, the guiding philosophy behind OJJDP’s programs was to fund 

activities and programs that improve outcomes for the Nation’s youth. This meant supporting 

programs that reduce juvenile delinquency and crime, protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse, and improving the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds 

offenders accountable, and provides services—tailored to individual and community needs—to 

juvenile victims and offenders and to their families. 

The Office’s many accomplishments in FY 2008 ranged from helping the field understand 

emerging issues such as female offending, to using technology to help communities develop 

comprehensive responses to juvenile delinquency, to working with faith-based organizations. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
3 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

The Office also continued to represent the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Helping America’s Youth, an initiative led by First Lady Laura Bush. OJJDP’s many efforts on this initiative 

included helping to identify successful programs for Mrs. Bush to visit as she traveled the country speaking about the needs of America’s youth. OJJDP is also especially proud of the role it has 

played in two major DOJ initiatives: Project Safe Childhood and the Comprehensive Anti-Gang 

Initiative. 

OJJDP recognizes that much remains to be done to prevent, intervene in, and treat delinquent 

behavior. The activities highlighted throughout this Report illustrate OJJDP’s commitment to 

continually strive to improve outcomes for the Nation’s children, particularly those at risk, by 

supporting programs that have the greatest potential for improving the juvenile justice system 

and keeping communities safe. 

When adults offer young people a chance, 

their love and support can show struggling 

youth the hope that lies beyond their future, and 

sometimes that hope makes all the difference. 

—First Lady Laura Bush, 

leader of the Helping America’s Youth Initiative
OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	

4	

Girls Study Group 

In
the
1990s,
a
surge
of
girls’
arrests
brought
female
juvenile
crime
to


the
country’s
attention.
Girls’
rates
of
arrest
for
some
crimes
increased


faster
than
boys’
rates
of
arrest.
By
2004,
girls
accounted
for
30
percent
of
all
juvenile
arrests,
but
delinquency
experts
did
not
know


whether
these
trends
reflected
changes
in
girls’
behavior
or
changes


in
arrest
patterns.
The
juvenile
justice
field
struggled
to
understand


how
best
to
respond
to
the
needs
of
the
girls
entering
the
system.
In


2004,
OJJDP
convened
the
Girls
Study
Group
(GSG)
to
establish
a


research­based
foundation
to
guide
the
development,
testing,
and


dissemination
of
strategies
to
reduce
or
prevent
girls’
involvement


in
delinquency
and
violence.


FY
2008
saw
the
beginning
of
OJJDP’s
dissemination
of
the
GSG’s


findings.
The
study
group
sponsored
a
1­day
preconference
session
at
the
March
2008
Blueprints
Conference
in
Denver,
CO.
The


focus
of
the
preconference
session
was
to
convey
findings
and
discuss


the
evidence
base
for
girls’
programming
and
needs.
In
addition,
GSG
members


presented
some
of
the
group’s
findings
to
the
Coordinating
Council
on
Juvenile


Justice
and
Delinquency
Prevention
in
June
2008.


OJJDP
launched
a
Girls’
Delinquency
Web
page
and
is
producing
a
series
of


bulletins
that
present
the
study
group’s
findings
on
such
issues
as
patterns
of


offending
among
adolescents
and
how
they
differ
for
girls
and
boys;
risk
and


protective
factors
associated
with
delinquency,
including
gender
differences;
and


the
causes
and
correlates
of
girls’
delinquency.
Detailed
information
about
the


new
GSG
Bulletins
and
the
Girls’
Delinquency
Web
page
may
be
found
in
chapter
5.


Online Resources 

The	Girls’	Delinquency	Web	page	may	be	accessed	at	www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/programs/	

girlsdelinquency.html.	Detailed	information	about	GSG	can	be	found	at	the	Girls	Study	

Group	Web	site	at	www.girlsstudygroup.rti.org.	Information	about	the	preconference	session	

on	girls’	delinquency	at	the	March	2008	Blueprints	Conference	in	Denver,	CO,	is	available	

at	www.blueprintsconference.com/girls_study_group.html.	

Electronic Mapping—the SMART System 

OJJDP’s
Socioeconomic
Mapping
and
Resource
Topography
(SMART)
system


is
a
free,
Web­accessible
application
that
communities
can
use
to
position
local


resources
to
help
prevent
crime
and
delinquency.
Users
can
connect
SMART


maps
of
crime
locations
with
maps
of
local
intervention
programs
and
community
resources.
The
system
contains
crime
data,
census
data,
and
locations


of
community
resources,
including
YMCAs,
Boys
&
Girls
Clubs,
and
police


JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	
CHAPTER 1 

stations. SMART has been available to the public since September 2006 and provides information about all of OJJDP’s active grants across the country. 

In FY 2008, OJJDP expanded the data and information that is available in 

SMART and has greatly enhanced the functionality of the application. Some 

examples of this include the location and contact information for public schools 

nationwide (from the National Center for Education Statistics), the location and 

contact information of public juvenile residential placement facilities (from the 

Juvenile Residential Facility Census), the ability to upload multiple addresses 

from spreadsheets into the system (e.g., local crime and delinquency data and 

addresses of local incidents of crime), and data from the Uniform Crime Reports 

between 1994 and 2004. 

A total of 5,661 users have registered in the SMART system. Users include 

community organizations, law enforcement agencies, State and local agencies, 

members of academia, and national organizations. 

OJJDP introduced several enhancements to the SMART system in FY 2008 that 

improve the visual display of information on the mapping page 

and allow the user greater flexibility in how the information is 

presented. The improvements to the mapping page include the 

ability to display and print maps and reports as PDFs and to 

view SMART data as a scatter chart. SMART users can now 

customize a geographic area by selecting multiple areas of 

interest. A dropdown box on the Custom Area Selection 

map page allows the user to overlay a transparent map as 

a reference for creating a customized map. For example, a 

user can select a group of census tracts to correspond to a 

particular school, congressional, or police district. Service 

providers also can select census tracts that correspond to 

their particular service areas within a city. 

Over the past year, SMART has been highlighted at a number of major conferences. In particular, the Environmental Systems Research Institute’s Federal User 

Conference in Washington, DC, and International User Conference in San Diego, 

CA; the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives in New 

York City; the International Association of Chiefs of Police in San Diego, CA; 

and the National Youth Gang Symposium in Atlanta, GA. 

Online Resource 

For more information about SMART, please see OJJDP’s In Focus Fact Sheet, available at 

5

ANNUAL REPORT 

www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/pubs/222504.pdf. SMART is free and available on the Web at 

http://smart.gismapping.info. 

2008 
6	

OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	

are
permanent
members
of
the
group.


First
Lady
Laura
Bush
speaking
at
the


HAY
conference
in
Dallas,
TX,
on


November
8,
2007.


Faith-Based Activities 

In
December
2002,
President
Bush
signed
Executive
Order
13279,
which
created


the
White
House
Office
of
Faith­Based
and
Community
Initiatives.
This
Order


called
for
a
“comprehensive
effort
to
enlist,
equip,
enable,
empower,
and


expand
the
work
of
faith­based
and
other
community
organizations.”
As
a


result,
Federal
agencies
are
developing
policies
that
remove
the
obstacles
that


make
it
difficult
for
faith­based
and
community
organizations
to
compete
for


Federal
grants
and
are
expanding
the
funding
opportunities
that
are
open
to


these
organizations.


In
FY
2008,
OJJDP
instituted
a
number
of
policies
and
activities
to
support


the
President’s
initiative.
The
Office
worked
diligently
to
include
faith­based


and
community
organizations
in
existing
activities,
sponsored
and
supported


several
training
conferences
to
educate
these
organizations
about
the
Federal


grantmaking
process,
and
funded
a
variety
of
programs
provided
by
faith­based


organizations
to
combat
juvenile
delinquency
and
improve
child
protection.


The
programs
address
a
range
of
issues,
including
mentoring
for
children
of


incarcerated
parents
and
commercial
sexual
exploitation
of
children.
The
Office’s


faith­based
efforts
are
described
in
greater
detail
in
chapter
2.


Helping America’s Youth 

Helping
America’s
Youth
(HAY)
is
a
Presidential
initiative
led


by
First
Lady
Laura
Bush
to
raise
awareness
about
the
challenges
facing
the
Nation’s
youth,
particularly
at­risk
boys,
and
to


motivate
caring
adults
to
connect
with
youth
in
three
key
areas:


family,
school,
and
community.
Through
its
collaboration
with


nine
other
Federal
agencies
in
supporting
the
HAY
Initiative,


OJJDP
helps
ensure
that
gang
prevention
is
a
significant
focus


of
this
effort
by
promoting
awareness
of
the
issue
at
a
senior


level
within
the
Administration
and
disseminating
information


to
practitioners
in
the
field.
Specific
accomplishments
for
2008


include
the
following:


• On
February
7,
2008,
President
Bush
signed
an
Executive
Order
establishing


the
Interagency
Working
Group
on
Youth
Programs,
a
coalition
of
Federal


agencies
that
will
support
communities
and
organizations
working
on
behalf


of
the
Nation’s
youth.
The
order
builds
on
the
success
of
HAY.
OJJDP
staff


• As
the
leader
of
the
initiative,
Mrs.
Bush
has
hosted
one
national


conference
and
five
regional
conferences
and
participated
in
125
other

CHAPTER	1	

Helping
America’s
Youth
activities
in
24
States
and
the
District
of
Columbia


to
promote
the
efforts
of
youth­serving
organizations.


• OJJDP
served
as
the
Department’s
liaison
for
the
initiative.
OJJDP
compiled


nominations
for
community
coalitions
to
attend
the
HAY
regional
training


conference
training
in
February
2008
in
Portland,
OR.
OJJDP
also
compiled
a


list
of
law
enforcement
representatives
in
the
region
to
attend
the
conference.


OJJDP
funds
and
supports
the
HAY
Web
site,
which
houses
the
Community 

Guide to Helping America’s Youth.
The
Community Guide offers
neighborhoods


or
localities
a
step­by­step
approach
for
learning
more
about
their
community,


including
where
youth­related
problems
occur,
which
youth
and
families
are


most
affected
by
those
problems,
and
what
local
resources
and
assets
the
community
can
use
to
address
those
problems.
The
Guide also
includes
a
Community
Resource
Inventory
that
localities
can
use
to
identify
and
track
partners
and


programs
that
are
already
at
work
locally.
It
provides
information
about
promising
and
proven
effective
interventions
to
prevent
adolescent
risky
behaviors
and


promote
positive
youth
development.


OJJDP
reviewed,
edited,
and
facilitated
major
enhancements
to
the
Guide in


2008,
ensuring
that
both
the
HAY
Web
site
and
the
Community Guide were
compatible
in
design
and
features.
OJJDP
made
the
Guide more
user­friendly
by


highlighting
its
benefits
and
resources
more
prominently.
OJJDP
continues
to
be


involved
in
this
initiative,
providing
resources,
staff
time,
and
expertise.


Online Resource 

To	learn	more	about	the	HAY	Initiative,	visit	www.helpingamericasyouth.gov.	

Project Safe Childhood 

OJJDP
is
proud
to
be
playing
a
major
role
in
DOJ’s


Project
Safe
Childhood
(PSC)
initiative,
which
combats


7

ANNUAL	REPORT	

the
exploitation
of
children
by
Internet
predators.
The


project’s
goal
is
to
investigate
and
prosecute
crimes


against
children
committed
through
the
Internet
or


other
electronic
media
and
communications
devices.


The
initiative’s
key
partners
include
U.S.
Attorneys;


the
Internet
Crimes
Against
Children
(ICAC)
task


force
program,
which
is
managed
by
OJJDP;
the


National
Center
for
Missing
&
Exploited
Children;


the
Federal
Bureau
of
Investigation;
and
State
and


local
law
enforcement
agencies.


2008
8 

OJJDP awarded more than $17 million in grants to State and local law enforcement agencies under its ICAC task force program to support joint local, State, 

and Federal efforts to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes against children 

and keep children safe from Internet predators. 

Also in FY 2008, OJJDP took the lead in planning a month-long national media 

campaign as part of the PSC initiative to combat the online exploitation of children. The $2.5 million campaign uses a combination of public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish on national cable television channels, print 

ads, and Internet promotions such as banner ads, pop-up ads, and Webisodes. 

Following a national media launch in Washington, DC, regional promotions— 

radio spots, movie theater PSAs, and media events—were planned in four cities: 

Miami, FL; St. Louis, MO; Seattle, WA; and San Diego, CA. 

For more information on how OJJDP is working to protect children by fighting 

cybercrime and many other activities, see chapter 4. 

Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative 

OJJDP helped launch and continues to support DOJ’s comprehensive initiative 

to combat gang violence under its Project Safe Neighborhoods. The initiative prioritizes prevention programs to provide America’s youth and offenders returning to the community with opportunities that help them resist gang involvement 

and ensures robust enforcement policies when gang-related violence occurs. 

The initiative stresses the importance of Federal and State agencies working 

with local partners to coordinate anti-gang strategies. The program significantly enhances resources and coordination of comprehensive communitywide 

responses to gangs across the country. The initiative is coordinated through the 

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. 

In June 2008, OJJDP released a publication, based on 15 years of research and 

practice, involving OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model. The document, Best 

Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model, 

describes best practices learned from practitioners experienced in planning and 

implementing the model and notes findings from evaluations of programs demonstrating the model. 

OJJDP’s many anti-gang activities are described in chapter 2. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER	1	

Mentoring 

Research
indicates
that,
when
well­implemented,
mentoring
can
be
a
useful


strategy
in
working
with
at­risk
youth
and
those
who
experience
multiple
risk


factors
for
delinquency,
school
failure,
and
other
negative
outcomes.
OJJDP’s


juvenile
mentoring
grants
support
national
and
community
organizations
that


directly
serve
youth
through
mentoring,
target
specific
populations
of
youth,


and/or
enhance
the
capacity
of
other
organizations
to
recruit,
train,
and
supervise
mentors.


OJJDP
invested
more
than
$60
million
in
FY
2008
to
help
develop
and
enhance


the
capacity
of
communities
to
provide
mentoring
services
to
at­risk
youth


nationwide.
The
mentoring
grants
will
focus
on
the
needs
of
underserved
populations,
including
at­risk
youth
in
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
communities


and
Latino
communities
that
have
gang
problems.


OJJDP’s
mentoring
initiatives
are
described
in
detail
in
chapter
2.


Enhancing Efficiency 

OJJDP
continues
to
improve
the
effectiveness
of
its
programs
and
the
efficiency


of
its
delivery
of
services
to
the
field.
In
2008,
OJJDP
expanded
the
field’s
access


to
performance
measurement
tools
and
took
a
leading
role
in
the
establishment


of
agencywide
policies
and
guidance
for
the
other
program
offices
in
establishing
their
own
systems
of
performance
measurement.
OJJDP
continued
to
streamline
the
delivery
of
training
and
technical
assistance
to
the
field.


Performance	Measures	

OJJDP
made
significant
progress
in
FY
2008
in
expanding,
implementing,
and
collecting
performance
measures


to
determine
the
effectiveness
of
funded
programs.
The


Office
also
enhanced
its
Performance
Measures
Web
page


to
facilitate
collecting
and
reporting
data
that
measure
the


9

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

results
of
OJJDP­funded
programs.
The
page
features
new


training
resources,
performance­measure
guidelines
tailored
to
every
solicitation,
and
centralized
easy­to­access


information.
The
newly
updated
page
enables
users
to


better
understand
performance
measurement,
learn


about
OJJDP’s
performance
reporting
requirements


and
resources,
and
access
important
Federal
performance
measurement
resources.

In
addition,
OJJDP
provided
leadership
within
DOJ’s
Office
of
Justice
Programs


(OJP)
in
its
work
to
establish
a
stronger
performance
measures
system
throughout
the
agency.
In
large
part
due
to
OJJDP’s
accomplishments
in
developing
its


own
system,
OJJDP
staff
provided
leadership
for
the
OJP
Performance
Measures


Business
Process
Improvement
Team,
which
was
formed
in
March
2007.


The
team
has
completed
a
thorough
review
and
analysis
of
the
various
processes


related
to
performance
measures
within
the
different
bureaus
and
program


offices
of
OJP.
The
team’s
recommendations
were
approved
by
the
Associate


Attorney
General
in
September
2007.
During
FY
2008,
the
team
developed
a


performance
measures
catalog
for
use
by
OJP
offices
(to
streamline
the
measures


selection
and
documentation
process)
and
crafted
a
set
of
OJP­wide
performance


measures
policies
for
implementation
throughout
the
bureaus
and
offices
of
OJP,


most
likely
in
early
FY
2009.


Online Resource 

For	more	information,	visit	the	OJJDP	Web	site	at	www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp	and	click	on	the	

“Funding”	section,	then	on	“Performance	Measures.”	

victimization.
A
major
component
of
these
efforts
is
the
provision
of


those
working
to
prevent
and
respond
to
juvenile
delinquency
and


OJJDP
provides
national
leadership,
coordination,
and
resources
to


10	

OFFICE	OF	

Training	and	Technical	Assistance	

victimization.
A
major
component
of
these
efforts
is
the
provision
of


those
working
to
prevent
and
respond
to
juvenile
delinquency
and


OJJDP
provides
national
leadership,
coordination,
and
resources
to


training
and
technical
assistance
(TTA)
resources
that
address
the


needs
of
juvenile
justice
practitioners
and
support
State
and
local


efforts
to
build
capacity
and
expand
the
use
of
evidence­based


practices.


OJJDP
recently
improved
its
TTA
program
by
consolidating


several
training
projects
under
one
umbrella.
The
Office’s


National
Training
and
Technical
Assistance
Center
(NTTAC)


now
provides
the
majority
of
TTA
to
the
field,
covering
a
comprehensive
range


of
topics—from
prevention
to
graduated
sanctions
to
intervention
to
reentry.


During
FY
2008,
NTTAC
responded
to
a
total
of
155
TTA
requests
and
provided
TTA
to
2,935
participants.
Of
those
requests,
NTTAC
supplied
technical


assistance
to
145
requesters
and
1,735
participants
from
44
States,
the
District
of


Columbia,
and
three
territories.
NTTAC
provided
training
to
1,200
participants


from
the
50
States
and
the
5
territories.


JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	
CHAPTER 1 

Training and technical assistance covered a variety of topics, including tribal law 

enforcement, disproportionate minority contact (DMC), faith-based initiatives, 

violence prevention research, mental health in detentions and corrections, compliance monitoring, community drug intervention, and navigating the Federal 

funding process. Participants included prosecutors, child protective service representatives, researchers, State DMC coordinators, law enforcement personnel, 

judges, and treatment agency representatives. 

Information about specific OJJDP training and technical assistance activities is 

provided throughout this Report. 

Online Resource 

For more information, visit the National Training and Technical Assistance Center Web site at 

www.NTTAC.org. 

2008 

11 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 
CHAPTER 2
 
14 

CHAPTER 2	 Forming Partnerships 

To Prevent and Intervene 

in Delinquency 

An effective response to juvenile delinquency and violence must always involve a multidimensional approach that takes into account the family, school, peers, and larger community. Partnerships between practitioners and policymakers in many different areas 

of the juvenile justice field are essential. At the same time, shrinking resources necessitate coordination between agencies and organizations to ensure the efficient use of resources. For these 

reasons, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has been working 

closely with Federal, State, local, and nonprofit partners to forge partnerships providing comprehensive and effective approaches to the problem of juvenile delinquency. These collaborations 

are starting to pay dividends. 

OJJDP helps coordinate programs at the Federal level through the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. OJJDP has partnered with many Federal agencies to 

support a range of youth programs, including mentoring and other activities for at-risk youth. 

The Office also supports a variety of State and local collaborations. These include the Shared 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
15 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

Youth Vision, a partnership to strengthen coordination, communication, and collaboration 

among youth-serving agencies; and the Federal Mentoring Council, an interagency coordinating 

body designed to increase the number of mentor-mentee pairs. 

OJJDP’s partnerships are also allowing the Office to reach populations of young people who, 

until now, were not a primary focus of prevention efforts. One example is an effort between 

OJJDP and the U.S. Air Force to prevent underage drinking among those who are associated 

with the Air Force, either as dependents or military personnel. 

These and many of the other activities discussed in this chapter illustrate how OJJDP is helping 

community leaders, who may think they have no resources, realize they have what they need to 

get the job done by taking inventory of their communities, reaching out to partners, and working alongside other sectors. With OJJDP support and guidance, these partnerships are helping to 

improve outcomes for youth. 

The hallmark of OJJDP is its ability to leverage 

and launch efforts to improve the lives of youth 

who are at risk of entering the juvenile justice 

system and those already within it. This could 

not be done without strong partnerships. . . . 

Through partnerships with other Federal agencies, 

State and local governments, and nonprofit 

organizations, we carry out our commitment to 

help communities intervene early and effectively 

in children’s lives. 

—J. Robert Flores, 

OJJDP Administrator
16 

Faith-Based and Community Initiatives 

As noted in chapter 1, OJJDP encourages faith-based organizations to work 

with the Office and other juvenile justice and community programs in preventing delinquency. During fiscal year (FY) 2008, the Office actively reached out 

to these organizations and funded programs ranging from mentoring activities to research projects. During FY 2008, OJJDP sponsored numerous training 

conferences to guide faith-based and community groups through the Federal 

grantmaking process and to build organizational capacity among these groups. 

Examples of these training efforts include: 

•	 OJJDP, in its annual training conferences for State formula grant recipients in 

Nashville, TN, and Denver, CO, featured a workshop presentation by Steven 

T. McFarland, Director of the Task Force for Faith-Based and Community 

Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The presentation provided 

practical information on what a State needs to know about how to treat religious nonprofits seeking Federal funding. 

•	 In March and April 2008, OJJDP held two regional conferences on “Navigating the Future: Accessing and Sustaining Resources for Community and 

Faith-Based Organizations.” The conferences—held in Philadelphia, PA, and 

Los Angeles, CA—brought together several hundred representatives from 

faith-based and community organizations to hear from key leaders of foundations and the business community about practical and effective ways to 

access resources and financially sustain their organizations’ work to protect 

and serve America’s at-risk youth. 

Following are just a few examples of OJJDP’s other support of faith-based and 

community initiatives across the Nation in FY 2008: 

•	 OJJDP has incorporated language in all of its solicitations for grant applications (both formula/block grant and discretionary) encouraging State and 

local units of government to consider faith-based and community organizations for subgrant funding and inviting faith-based organizations to apply 

for funding or to seek membership in local partnerships or coalitions, where 

appropriate. 

•	 The OJJDP-funded Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation of America’s (PLFA’s) 

Three-City Demonstration Project concluded successfully in May. The project 

provided training and technical assistance to strengthen and expand 63 small 

faith-based and community organizations that serve at-risk youth in targeted 

neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, PA; Dallas, TX; and Minneapolis, MN. PLFA 

and its partners in each city worked to expand the program and the organizational capabilities of participating groups, and build stronger collaborative 

efforts to prevent and address delinquency and other related problems such 

as substance abuse, school failure, truancy, and teen pregnancy. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER 2 

Three hundred agency staff and 115 volunteers in the 3 cities received 2,973 

hours of technical assistance and coaching from 3 leadership foundations 

and their partners through a 1-year OJJDP grant. Over the course of the year, 

these 63 faith-based and community groups expanded their services by 22 

percent and increased their funding by 12 percent, while 84 percent formed 

new service partnerships. 

•	 Amachi Pittsburgh is a faith-based mentoring initiative of the Pittsburgh 

Leadership Foundation that provides mentors for children of prisoners 

in Allegheny County, PA. Amachi Pittsburgh and its community partners 

develop programs that target children and youth ages 4 to 18 residing in 

neighborhoods with high rates of incarceration, poverty, unemployment, 

and crime. This OJJDP-funded mentoring initiative promotes collaboration 

among community agencies and organizations that support mentoring services. Amachi Pittsburgh will establish fully functional satellite mentoring 

programs in 15 additional locations for a total of 35 satellites, each providing 

mentors to a minimum of 10 children of prisoners each year. The Amachi 

team is focusing on the following outcomes: school performance, development of a positive attitude toward learning, school attendance, academic 

performance, appropriate behavior, self-confidence, and social skills. Other 

selected outcomes include improved coping and conflict management skills. 

Thus far, the Amachi program has served 251 youth with 187 matches and 20 

home visits. The program has established partnerships with 30 congregations 

throughout Allegheny County who assist program staff in recruiting, supervising, and supporting mentors and eligible families. 

•	 Through a cooperative agreement with the Florida Department of Juvenile 

Justice (FDJJ), OJJDP funded the Faith- and Community-Based Juvenile 

Detention Treatment Initiative to reach out to youth in moderate to highrisk residential juvenile correctional facilities. The initiative brings together 

local agencies, faith-based and community organizations, and businesses to 

provide participating youth with positive, caring adult relationships; greater 

supervision; and moral leadership as they transition back to their 

communities. 

Over the past 5 years, FDJJ has instituted a pilot program that incorporates 

faith-based interventions with secular programming in an effort to serve 

delinquents and the larger community. The secular programming emphasizes 

evidence-based components (largely cognitive/behavioral), which include 

Thinking for a Change, Character Education, and the Strengthening Families 

1 7

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

Program. The faith-based features include the introduction of chaplains into 

juvenile facilities, the facilitation of faith-based volunteer activities, and the 

recruitment of faith-based mentors who follow youth from their residential 

placement into community aftercare. 
18 

Because of both Federal and State constitutional requirements specifying 

freedom of religion and worship and barring the establishment of religion, 

youth who participate in the program, as well as their parents, must voluntarily agree to placement in a faith-based facility (versus a standard residential program) prior to commitment. 

Researchers from the University of Florida have conducted a process and 

outcome evaluation of the project, and two documents are expected to be 

published by the end of December 2008: 

•	 Before You Open the Doors: Ten Lessons From Florida’s Faith and CommunityBased Delinquency Treatment Initiative 

•	 University of Florida Process Evaluation Report: Facility Incidents and Contacts 

in the Florida Faith and Community-Based Delinquency Treatment Initiative 

Research and Evaluation 

In 2007, OJJDP funded a “Randomized Controlled Study of Amachi Texas,” to 

be conducted by ICF, Inc. The study will include both a process and outcome 

evaluation, and will determine the impact of Amachi Texas on outcomes for children with incarcerated parents and/or family members. Long-term goals include 

determining whether the Amachi model can be considered to be an evidencebased program and should be replicated on a national level. Final results are 

anticipated for 2010. 

In addition, through its Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Solicitation, 

OJJDP funded Baylor University in 2006 to conduct the study, “Role of Religion 

in Prosocial Behavior of Youth.” Key activities of this project included a systematic review and synthesizing of the religion-crime literature, and identification 

of key components/factors for implementation by both faith-based and secular 

programs. The study is near completion, and final results will be available in 

early 2009. 

Anti-Gang Initiatives 

OJJDP has long supported the use of data-driven, strategic anti-gang initiatives 

that combine prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry strategies. Such 

initiatives require the collaboration of multiple community partners including 

law enforcement, schools, social services, community and faith-based organizations, key community leaders, citizens, and other partners. Coordinating multiple anti-gang strategies provides the highest potential for long-term success 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
19 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

CHAPTER 2 

in reducing and eliminating gang activity. During FY 2008, OJJDP provided 

support to local, State, and Federal parties seeking information and guidance on 

gang prevention. The Office’s major anti-gang efforts are described below. 

DOJ’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative 

During FY 2008, OJJDP played a major role in DOJ’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang 

Initiative, launched in 2006. The initiative, coordinated through the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, emphasizes the importance of working with local partners to coordinate anti-gang strategies. As a result of this emphasis, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices 

have moved beyond focusing on enforcement-only anti-gang strategies and have 

begun developing comprehensive communitywide strategies. 

The project initially began with six sites in Los Angeles, CA; Dallas/Fort Worth, 

TX; Tampa, FL; Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee, WI; and the 222 corridor north of 

Philadelphia, PA. The initiative was expanded in 2007 to include Rochester, NY; 

Oklahoma City, OK; Indianapolis, IN; and Raleigh-Durham, NC. It was further 

expanded in FY 2008 to 12 sites to include Detroit, MI, and Chicago, IL. OJJDP 

helped develop this initiative and continues to provide training and technical 

assistance in the areas of prevention and intervention to all of the sites. 

The Office has also played a significant role in the delivery of several anti-gang 

trainings to support DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods. The Project Safe Neighborhoods Anti-Gang Training pilot was held in Dover, DE, in September 2007. 

Approximately 160 law enforcement officers and criminal justice practitioners 

attended this training, which was delivered by DOJ law enforcement agencies 

and other criminal justice professionals. Intervention, prevention, suppression, 

and reentry strategies were presented, as well as a briefing on national and 

regional gang trends, a community gang problem assessment, and tips for working with cooperating witnesses and confidential informants. OJJDP provided the 

prevention and intervention components of this training in the following locations in 2008: Chapel Hill, NC; Nashville, TN; Oklahoma City, OK; Birmingham, 

AL; Salt Lake City, UT; Chicago, IL; and Spokane, WA. 

Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program 

OJJDP initiated the Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program in FY 

2007 to improve the coordination of resources that support community partnerships implementing two or more of the strategies of OJJDP’s Comprehensive 

Gang Model: prevention, intervention, and suppression. The program funds a 

coordinator position in each community to identify and leverage a variety of 

resources to help reduce youth gang crime and violence in targeted neighborhoods. The approach emphasizes a balance of gang prevention with enforcement 
20	

to
money
available.


and
commits
to
using
community
organizations
and
faith­based
groups
to


sustain
the
work.


In
2008,
OJJDP
received
approximately
250
applications
and
made
12
awards


of
up
to
$200,000
each
for
the
24­month
project.
Grantees
are
the
Stockton
(CA)


Unified
School
District;
Young
Visionaries
Youth
Leadership
Academy,
San
Bernardino,
CA;
Oakland
(CA)
Unified
School
District;
City
of
Norwalk


(CT);
Leon
County
School
Board,
Tallahassee,
FL;
Palm
Beach
County


Sheriff’s
Office
(FL);
SGA
Youth
&
Family
Services,
Chicago,
IL;
Roca,


Inc.,
Chelsea,
MA;
City
of
Minneapolis
(MN);
Youth
Empowerment


Mission,
Inc.,
Brooklyn,
NY;
City
of
Cleveland
(OH);
and
Educational


Service
District
101,
Spokane,
WA.


Gang	Reduction	Program	

Since
2002,
OJJDP
has
worked
to
strengthen
the
reach
and
breadth
of


its
efforts
to
reduce
youth
gang
violence.
OJJDP
launched
the
Gang


Reduction
Program
(GRP)
in
2003
to
reduce
youth
gang
activity
in


disadvantaged
neighborhoods
by
combining
local,
State,
and
Federal
resources
in
a
select
number
of
cities
across
the
country.
The


program
continues
today
in
Los
Angeles,
CA;
North
Miami
Beach,


FL;
and
Richmond,
VA.


GRP
incorporates
three
new
ingredients
to
OJJDP’s
Comprehensive
Gang


Model,
the
product
of
a
national
gang
research
and
development
program
initiated
in
the
mid­1980s.
First,
GRP
makes
the
recruitment
of
individuals
from


faith
communities
and
small
community
organizations
a
priority.
OJJDP
recognizes
that
local
churches
and
charitable
organizations
will
continue
to
live


on
long
after
the
Federal
Government
or
large
organizations
have
ended
their


work.
In
addition,
these
local
entities
often
are
very
efficient,
raise
their
own


funds,
have
existing
personal
relationships
with
those
in
need,
and
understand


the
culture
and
language
of
the
local
community.
All
of
this
translates
into
lower


costs,
faster
impact,
and
longer
lasting
presence.


Second,
GRP
emphasizes
multiagency
collaboration,
not
only
locally
in
neighborhoods
and
communities
but
across
Federal
agencies
as
well.
OJJDP’s
work
on


GRP
was
made
substantially
easier
because
Federal
funding
was
extremely
flexible.
Funds
used
in
this
program
came
from
flexible
funding
streams
at
OJJDP


and
the
U.S.
Departments
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
Housing
and
Urban


Development,
and
Labor.
GRP
grantees
can
fit
dollars
to
need,
instead
of
needs


Third,
GRP
stresses
the
importance
of
partnering
with
the
private
sector.
At
the


outset
of
this
effort,
OJJDP
recognized
that
success
would
benefit
not
only
those


OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	
21 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 2 

children who did not become members of gangs, but the community at large, 

including businesses. When crime and violence are reduced, the business community, especially small businesses that suffer most from theft and vandalism, 

experience significant benefits. For example, the GRP effort in Richmond, VA, 

has led to large-scale improvements and investments in the physical condition of 

public housing. As a result of GRP, there has been increased safety, more stable 

tenants, and better tenant care of property. The private-sector operator of those 

units saw an economic reason to contribute to the Richmond GRP effort. 

Unlike many previous efforts where communities chose to address enforcement, 

prevention, or intervention, this GRP effort is bringing all major sectors together 

and using the strengths of each to address the needs of the communities. 

The Urban Institute is evaluating the GRP initiative. Preliminary findings reveal 

significant reductions in both crime rates and violence in the target areas. Furthermore, local governance and communication have steadily improved among 

members within the local partnerships, and GRP implementation has improved 

communication about gang issues within the target areas and among participating organizations. OJJDP expects to receive the final evaluation report in late 

December 2008. 

National Youth Gang Center 

OJJDP established the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) in 1994 to expand 


and maintain the body of critical knowledge about youth gangs and effective responses to them. NYGC provides training and technical assistance on 


community-based responses to youth gangs and is playing a large role in DOJ’s 


Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. NYGC has a network of trainers, training 


materials, and curriculums that cover a range of topics such as community gang 


problem assessment, multidisciplinary gang intervention, and comprehensive 


community responses to gangs. 


NYGC also conducts the annual National Youth Gang Survey of police and sheriffs’ departments to determine the extent of the Nation’s gang problem. OJJDP
 

released findings from the 2005 and 2006 surveys in FY 2008. 


NYGC maintains a Web site with full-text publications on gang programs and 


research, a bibliography of gang publications that are not available electronically, 


lists of gang-related legislation broken down by State and subject, and GANG–
 

INFO, a forum for professionals to exchange information about youth gangs. 


The Web site also maintains a database of gang-related news coverage, to which 


2,500 new articles were posted during FY 2008. 


Online Resource 

For more information, visit the National Youth Gang Center Web site at www.iir.com/nygc. 

2008 
22	

OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	

Other	Major	Accomplishments	

In
addition
to
the
programs
highlighted
above,
OJJDP
supported
and
participated
in
several
other
important
anti­gang
activities
during
FY
2008.


The
2008
OJJDP
National
Youth
Gang
Symposium
was
held
in
June
in
Atlanta,


GA.
The
conference
offered
innovative
and
successful
gang
prevention
and


intervention
programs
and
strategies
and
provided
the
latest
information
on


youth
gang
activities
and
trends
from
top
national
experts.
OJJDP
Administrator


J.
Robert
Flores
presided
over
the
symposium’s
main
events.
OJJDP
announced


the
publication
of
Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s 

Comprehensive Gang Model at
the
symposium,
an
important
guide
for
communities
challenged
by
gang
activity
(see
sidebar,
“OJJDP
Releases
Best
Practices


Guide
for
Community
Gang
Prevention”).
Topics
covered
at
the
symposium


included
school­based
prevention
and
intervention
programs,
female
gangs,


gangs
in
Indian
country,
alternatives
to
incarceration,
“gangsta
rap,”
and
targeted
reentry.


Cosponsors
of
the
event
included
Boys
&
Girls
Clubs
of
America
and
OJJDP’s


NYGC.
More
than
1,200
people
attended,
including
school
personnel,
law


enforcement
personnel,
researchers,
prosecutors,
youth
leaders,
elected
officials,


government
agency
personnel,
staff
from
community­based
organizations,
and


others
who
are
involved
in
addressing
the
Nation’s
youth
gang
issues.


OJJDP	RELEASES	BEST	PRACTICES	GUIDE	

FOR	COMMUNITY	GANG	PREVENTION	

Published	in	June,	Best Practices To Address 

Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s Comprehensive 

Gang Model provides	guidance	for	communities	that	

are	considering	how	best	to	address	a	youth	gang	

problem	that	already	exists	or	threatens	to	become	a	

reality.	The	guidance	is	based	on	the	implementation	

of	OJJDP’s	Comprehensive	Gang	Model,	which	

was	designed	to	provide	a	framework	to	enhance	

coordination	of	local,	State,	and	Federal	resources	

in	support	of	community	partnerships	implementing	

anti-gang	strategies.	The	publication	describes	the	

research	that	produced	the	model,	notes	essential	

findings	from	evaluations	of	several	programs	

demonstrating	the	model	in	a	variety	of	environments,	

and	outlines	“best	practices”	obtained	from	practitioners	with	years	of	experience	

in	planning,	implementing,	and	overseeing	variations	of	the	model	in	their	

communities.	
 

 

23 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 2 

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 

A grant administered by OJJDP is helping the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) make a positive difference in the lives 

of children who live in public housing. These children are especially vulnerable to the negative impact of poverty and social 

neglect. BGCA operates clubs in more than 450 public housing communities with additional clubs in distressed urban, 

suburban, rural, military, and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. 

During FY 2008, BGCA and FirstPic, Inc., established approximately 84 new clubs in public housing communities, with 

18 of those new clubs in AI/AN communities. Existing clubs were enhanced in 190 AI/AN communities. To address the 

prevalence of drug use and juvenile crime in public housing and other distressed communities, clubs that received funding 

are required to have the youth members participate in at least one approved evidence-based program and to report the 

results to OJJDP. The clubs can select from a menu of eligible programs, including three programs developed by BGCA: 

• SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) is a nationally acclaimed prevention program that helps young 

people resist alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, and premature sexual activities. The program features engaging, 

interactive, small-group activities that increase peer support, enhance life skills, build resiliency, and strengthen 

leadership skills. 

• Targeted Outreach focuses on youth ages 6 to 18 who are at high risk of delinquency and gang involvement and offers 

them positive alternatives. The clubs collaborate with local partners to mobilize community resources, employ special 

strategies to recruit hard-to-reach youth, place targeted youth into appropriate club programs, and monitor the progress 

of at-risk youth on a case-by-case basis. 

• Project Learn reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people acquire at school and during the hours 

they spend at the club. Youth participate in several hours of structured activities each week such as leisure reading, 

writing activities, discussions with adults, helping others, tutoring, and games that draw on cognitive skills. The program 

also encourages parent involvement and works closely with parents. 

During the grant period (April 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008), local clubs under BGCA leadership established 

approximately 285 new club sites in distressed areas, with awards totaling approximately $14 million to local club 

organizations. Reporting by the subgrantee clubs indicates that they recruited approximately 45,000 new members and 

leveraged $8 million in additional funding from other funding sources. 

At least one approved evidence-based program was incorporated at 

each of the new clubs established with Office of Justice Programs 

funding. Approximately 184 clubs implemented SMART Moves; 

196 Project Learn; 22 Targeted Outreach and 7 other programs 

identified through the OJJDP evidence-based Model Programs Guide. 

Additionally, BGCA issued approximately 162 “capacity 

building” letters of agreement, (totaling approximately 

$6.3 million) and approximately 277 “teen outreach” 

letters of agreement (totaling approximately $6.3 million) 

to local club organizations. Clubs receiving these dollars 

reported recruiting approximately 29,754 new teen 

members and leveraged approximately $3.9 million in 

additional funding from other sources.
24	

OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	

In
addition
to
ongoing
evaluation
activity
of
OJJDP’s
Gang
Reduction
Program,


in
FY
2007
OJJDP
also
competitively
funded
a
new
study
by
the
Urban
Institute


entitled
“Norms
and
Networks
of
Latino
Gang
Youth.”
This
study
is
using
a


social
network
framework
to
understand
the
patterns
of
relations
among
Latino


gang/group
members
and
the
nature
of
the
links
binding
these
groups
to
their


social
contexts.
The
study
will
fill
an
important
gap
in
the
growing
body
of
gang


literature
regarding
how
interpersonal
relationships
and
networks
shape
social


interaction,
and,
in
turn,
individual­level
pro­
or
antisocial
behavior
(e.g.,
groupbased
criminal
behavior).
The
study
results
are
anticipated
in
2010.


Online Resource 

For	more	information	about	OJJDP’s	anti-gang	initiatives,	visit	the	OJJDP	Web	site	at	www.ojp.	

usdoj.gov/ojjdp.	

Mentoring Activities 

Mentoring
is
an
effective
way
to
prevent
at­risk
youth
from


becoming
involved
in
delinquency
and
to
help
already
delinquent


youth
change
their
lives
for
the
better.
Mentoring
relationships


have
been
shown
to
improve
youth’s
self­esteem,
behavior,
and


academic
performance.
OJJDP
has
long
supported
mentoring


programs,
receiving
appropriations
of
more
than
$200
million


since
1994
to
support
juvenile
and
youth
mentoring
programs.


In
FY
2008,
OJJDP
awarded
more
than
$60
million
to
support


community
mentoring
programs,
including
funding
that
addressed
the
needs
of


underserved,
at­risk
youth
populations
in
American
Indian/Alaska
Native


(AI/AN)
communities
and
Latino
communities
with
youth
gang
problems.


Following
are
brief
descriptions
of
the
four
FY
2008
mentoring
programs.


Latino	Youth	Mentoring	Program	

The
goals
of
the
2008
Latino
Youth
Mentoring
Program
are
to
prevent
gang
participation
and
violence
by
offering
healthy
alternatives
and
to
reduce
and
prevent
delinquency,
violence,
dropping
out
of
school,
and
truancy.
OJJDP
sought


applicants
to
establish
a
school­based
peer
mentoring
program
for
high
school


youth.
Adolescents
already
acclimated
to
high
school
and
the
surrounding
community
would
serve
as
peer
mentors
to
new
students
and
incoming
ninth
graders.
Identified
by
school
staff,
these
incoming
students
would
be
recruited
to
join


this
afterschool
program.
OJJDP
made
awards
totaling
more
than
$1.8
million


under
this
program.
The
projects
are
funded
for
up
to
3
years.
The
following


initiatives
were
awarded
funding
in
FY
2008:
the
Arlington
(TX)
Independent


JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	
CHAPTER	2	

School
District,
Big
Brothers/Big
Sisters
of
NYC,
the
Marilyn
G.
Rabb
Foundation,
and
Colors
of
Success,
Inc.


Mentoring	Programs	for	At-Risk	Tribal	Youth		 By
sharing
their
knowledge


and
experiences,
mentors
serve
 This
initiative
funds
national
organizations
that
support
mentoring
activities
in


tribal
communities.
OJJDP
made
two
awards
to
organizations
that
are
strength­ as
examples
for
young
people


ening
and
expanding
existing
mentoring
activities
in
tribal
communities.
These
 and
help
teach
them
the
skills


programs
will
increase
participation
of
tribal
youth
in
activities
with
adult
men­ they
need
to
succeed
in
life.


tors.
OJJDP
made
awards
totaling
$4
million
under
this
program.
 They
also
provide
stability,


instill
important
values,
and


National	Mentoring	Programs	 build
confidence
in
those
they


Through
this
initiative,
OJJDP
supports
organizations
that
have
mentoring
 assist.
Mentors
are
soldiers
in


programs
ready
for
implementation
that
will
strengthen
and
expand
existing
 the
armies
of
compassion,
and
 mentoring
activities.
OJJDP
was
especially
interested
in
programs
that
seek
to
 they
encourage
children
to
set
 increase
participation
by
mentors
from
underrepresented
groups
(e.g.,
Hispanic



and
African
American
adult
males),
target
children
of
single­parent
families,
and
 goals
and
achieve
their
dreams.



focus
on
making
truancy
prevention
a
priority
in
improving
school
attendance.

 —President George W. Bush, OJJDP
made
awards
totaling
more
than
$55
million
under
this
program.
 in a statement proclaiming 

January 2008 as National 

Mentoring Month Strengthening	Youth	Mentoring	Through	Community	

Partnerships	Program	

This
program
encourages
collaboration
among
nontraditional
partners.
Nontraditional
partners
may
not
have
mentoring
as
their
primary
mission
but


have
areas
of
common
or
overlapping
interest
that
include
providing


services
and
support
to
at­risk
youth.
These
partners
may
include


community
and/or
faith­based
organizations,
nonprofits,
health
and


2 5

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

mental
health
organizations,
substance
abuse
prevention
organizations,
social
services
and
early
childhood/elementary
educational


systems,
educational/vocational
entities,
universities/colleges,
and


other
governmental
or
tribal
units
and
agencies.
The
goal
of
the


partnerships
is
to
develop
the
community’s
capacity
to
provide


new
and
existing
mentoring
services
for
at­risk
youth
and
to
facilitate
the
communication,
collaboration,
and
delivery
of
mentoring
services
among
service
providers,
community
stakeholders,


and
governmental
partners.
OJJDP
made
awards
totaling
more


than
$5.3
million
under
this
program.


Other	Mentoring	Programs	

In
addition
to
the
FY
2008
grants
described
above,
OJJDP
continued
to
sponsor


ongoing
mentoring
programs
targeted
to
system­involved
youth.

26 

September 2008. 

In FY 2006, OJJDP developed the Mentoring Initiative for System-Involved 

Youth (MISIY) for young people involved in the juvenile justice system or in 

foster care and for juvenile offenders reentering their communities. The program supports organizations that implement initiatives that will develop new 

mentoring approaches or strengthen and expand existing mentoring programs. 

Examples include support to address new mentoring approaches in underserved communities, such as public housing or tribal reservations and efforts to 

recruit mentors from underused groups such as college students and fraternal 

organizations. This initiative also promotes collaboration among community 

agencies and organizations committed to supporting mentoring services. 

The Office awarded 4-year grants totaling $1.6 million to four communities to 

pilot mentoring programs for system-involved youth. The pilot programs are 

described below. 

•	 The Boys & Girls Aid Society’s Mentor Portland (OR) program provides mentoring to youth ages 10 to 14 who are in the foster care system or have an 

incarcerated parent. The organization is using the MISIY grant to implement 

one-on-one and team-based mentoring for 136 youth in foster care. 

•	 Lutheran Family Services of Virginia’s Mentor Match in Roanoke, VA, provides one-on-one, community-based mentoring to 20 youth ages 8 to 18 who 

are in foster care and the juvenile justice system. With the MISIY grant, the 

organization plans to serve 140 additional youth by 2010. The youth will 

be recruited through established relationships with the local juvenile court 

system, social services agency, and Lutheran Family Services. 

•	 The city of Chicago’s Department of Children and Youth Services is using 

MISIY funds to support four community-based organizations that provide 

economic mentoring to adolescent males who are involved in the juvenile 

justice system or are at risk for entering the system. One of the goals of this 

program is to help youth develop an individual plan to ensure that they are 

connected to work or school. 

•	 The Mentoring Center in Oakland, CA, serves youth reentering the community from a juvenile residential rehabilitation facility. The center is using 

MISIY funding to develop a mentoring program aimed at reducing rearrest 

and recommitment rates among 240 young people ages 15 to 18. 

OJJDP also awarded a 2-year grant to the Education Development Center, a 

Boston-area based global nonprofit, to provide training and technical assistance 

to the grantees. The first group training for the grantees was held in December 

2006 in New Orleans, LA, and a regional training and planning meeting were 

held in May 2007 in Chicago, IL. Cross-site training was held in New Orleans in 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

27 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 2 

OJJDP ADVOCATES MENTORING PROGRAMS 

OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores urged the members of the Hispanic National Bar 

Association (HNBA) to participate in mentoring programs that serve Hispanic youth, citing 

mentoring as a critical element in helping youth avoid joining 

gangs. Flores spoke at HNBA’s 33rd Annual Conference, 

held in September in Hollywood, CA, a district within 

the city of Los Angeles. 

Administrator Flores restated DOJ’s and OJJDP’s 

commitment to reducing gang activity through the 

comprehensive gang-reduction strategy, which 

emphasizes prevention, intervention, reentry 

programs, law enforcement, and crime suppression. 

Los Angeles has the largest gang population in the 

country, with more than 400 gangs and 39,000 

members. DOJ has invested more than $15.5 

million to support the city’s comprehensive 

gang-reduction strategy. 

Juvenile Drug Court Initiative 

During FY 2008, OJJDP partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) to enhance the 

capacity and quality of treatment for youthful offenders in juvenile courts and 

juvenile drug courts by supporting the implementation of the Brief Intervention 

and Referral to Treatment (BIRT) model. This treatment strategy includes assessment, brief intervention, and treatment protocols that are proven, evidencebased practices to address the problem of substance abuse in juveniles. Awards 

of up to $530,000 for a 2-year period were provided to Ashland County (WI), 

Miami-Dade County (FL), and the Florida State Attorney’s Office (Fourth Judicial Circuit) to implement the model. This treatment intervention has been tested 

in CSAT’s Cannabis Youth Treatment Study and has proven to be effective in 

terms of individual outcomes and cost. The awardees will receive training and 

technical assistance from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. 

To help determine the effectiveness of the MISIY program, OJJDP also awarded 

a 4-year grant to the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) to 

conduct process and outcome evaluations of the program. PIRE has developed 

and provided each site with a customized outcome data collection package 

with instructions and a master manual. PIRE also began the development of a 

literature review that is incorporating the most relevant mentoring research in 

the field. Findings from the process and outcome evaluations are anticipated in 

2010.
28 

evaluation are in progress. 

OJJDP also continues to support a 4-year initiative launched in FY 2007 with 

the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to help communities address the 

needs of juvenile offenders who are substance abusers. The program is based 

on Reclaiming Futures, an RWJF program that brings communities together to 

improve drug and alcohol treatment, expand and coordinate services, and find 

jobs and volunteer work for young people in trouble with the law. 

The Juvenile Drug Court Initiative is helping three jurisdictions partner with 

States, State and local courts, units of local government, and tribal governments 

to develop and establish juvenile drug courts for substance-abusing juvenile 

offenders. The program will enable communities to identify substance-abusing 

youth, match them with appropriate treatment options, and deliver services 

through a coalition of providers working under the guidance of a local court. 

OJJDP is collaborating on the initiative with CSAT and RWJF. OJJDP initially 

awarded nearly $1.3 million over 4 years for the initiative. In FY 2008, CSAT collaborated with OJJDP to provide supplemental funding of up to $300,000 to each 

site to support the treatment components of the program. 

•	 Greene County, MO, is applying RWJF’s Reclaiming Futures model to a pilot 

juvenile drug court, launched in January 2007 under the Greene County 

Juvenile Court. The integrated system will enhance and expand treatment 

services, implement a system of care to coordinate all social services, and 

increase opportunities for youth and families in Greene County. 

•	 The Hocking County (OH) Juvenile Court, which has been operating for 9 

years, is integrating its juvenile drug court program with the Reclaiming 

Futures model to reduce the number of substance-abusing youth, help them 

meet educational goals, and increase the number of youth living drug- and 

crime-free lives. 

•	 The New York State Unified Court System is applying the Reclaiming 

Futures model to the Nassau County Juvenile Treatment Court program to 

improve coordination among the Nassau County Family Court and public 

and nonprofit agencies working with justice-involved juveniles. The goal is 

to improve the identification of juveniles requiring substance abuse treatment, expand the screening and assessment of respondents in juvenile 

delinquency petitions, and engage youth more effectively in treatment by 

increasing the number and range of effective treatment options. 

CSAT is providing technical assistance during the first year to support the treatment component, and RWJF is helping sites implement the Reclaiming Futures 

model. Grantees are also eligible to receive training and technical assistance 

through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Plans for 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

 

29 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 2 

Online Resources 

Information about the Juvenile Drug Court/Reclaiming Futures initiative is available at www.ojp. 

usdoj.gov/ojjdp (select the “Programs” section) and at www.reclaimingfutures.org. 

Enforcing the Underage Drinking 

Laws Program 

OJJDP has administered the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) 

program since Congress created the initiative in 1998. The program has four 

components: 

•	 Block grants awarded to each State and territory and the District of Columbia 

to improve the enforcement of underage drinking laws. 

•	 Discretionary grants awarded to competitively selected States to support the 

demonstration of best or promising practices at the local level. 

•	 Training and technical assistance, with research translation that aids program 

development and implementation, provided to grantees by the Pacific Institute 

for Research and Evaluation. 

•	 An evaluation of the Community Trials Initiative conducted by Wake Forest 

University School of Medicine (WFUSM); and an evaluation of the Rural Communities Initiative and military discretionary program supported by the National 

Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). 

This chapter focuses on EUDL’s discretionary grants and evaluation activities. For 

more information on EUDL’s block grants and training and technical assistance, see 

chapter 3. 

EUDL discretionary grants support several varied initiatives, all aimed at 

helping local communities use a comprehensive approach to address underage 

drinking. In an effort to address underage drinking issues in collegiate environments, FY 2008 EUDL discretionary funding aims to reduce the availability of 

alcoholic beverages to and the consumption of alcoholic beverages by university 

and college students younger than 21 years old in three States—Illinois, Nevada, 

and South Carolina. Each State is establishing partnerships with university/college 

campuses and adjacent communities to implement research-based and promising 

practices. The initiative aims to decrease the number of first-time alcohol-related 

incidents; decrease the incidence of unintentional injuries related to alcohol consumption among underage persons; and reduce alcohol-related traffic injuries or 

fatalities among underage persons. 

2008 
Launched
with
FY
2004
and
FY
2005
EUDL
discretionary
funding,
the
Rural


Communities
Initiative
has
been
implemented
in
seven
States—California,


Illinois,
Nevada,
New
Mexico,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
and
Washington.
The


initiative
is
nearing
conclusion
of
its
program
efforts
to
establish
or
enhance


research­based
practices
to
enforce
underage
drinking
laws
in
rural
communities.
Grantees
who
received
funding
in
2004
concluded
implementation
activities


in
2008
and
are
now
engaged
in
sustainability
efforts;
grantees
funded
in
2005


will
conclude
implementation
efforts
in
2009,
to
be
followed
by
sustainability


age
drinking
and
alcohol­related
misconduct
by
underage


airmen.
NIAAA
is
also
supporting
this
program’s
evaluation,


which
is
being
conducted
by
PIRE.


30	

OFFICE	OF	

partner
supporting
the
evaluation
of
this
initiative.


efforts
upon
conclusion
of
the
grant.
NIAAA
is
OJJDP’s
Federal


In
October
2006,
OJJDP
formed
a
partnership
with
the
U.S.
Air


Force
to
prevent
alcohol
access
and
consumption
by
underage


military
personnel.
OJJDP
awarded
more
than
$1
million
in


discretionary
EUDL
grants
to
Arizona,
California,
Hawaii,
and


Montana
to
support
partnerships
between
select
civilian
communities
and
Air
Force
bases
in
these
States
to
reduce
underResearchers
from
WFUSM
are
conducting
the
evaluation
of
the
2003
Community


Trials
Initiative
and
expect
to
release
evaluation
findings
by
mid­2009.


Online Resource 

For	more	information	on	the	EUDL	program,	visit	the	OJJDP	Web	site	at	www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp.	

Juvenile Integrated Information Sharing 

Agencies
responsible
for
the
health
and
well­being
of
youth
in
both
State
and


local
jurisdictions
struggle
to
improve
their
information­sharing
capabilities
to


make
their
programs
more
effective
and
efficient.
Many
agencies
do
not
have—


and
urgently
need—access
to
accurate
and
timely
information
to
assist
them


in
determining
appropriate
supervision,
services,
and
sanctions
for
youth.


Confidentiality
requirements
are
an
essential
component
in
developing
these


information­sharing
systems.


To
address
this
need,
OJJDP
is
supporting
the
Center
for
Network
Development’s
(CND’s)
Juvenile
Information
Sharing
(JIS)
Project.
The
project
is
developing
curriculums
and
providing
national
training
and
followup
assistance
to


address
issues
that
arise
in
information
sharing
in
the
juvenile
justice
community.


JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	
CHAPTER	2	

In
partnership
with
CND,
OJJDP
in
2006
released
the
publication,
Guidelines for 

Juvenile Information Sharing, which
provides
standards
and
methods
for
juvenile


justice
agencies
to
implement
successful
information­sharing
models.
The
guidelines
are
an
essential
resource
to
assist
local
and
State
partnering
jurisdictions
in


developing
information­sharing
procedures
that
are
both
effective
and
in
compliance
with
confidentiality
requirements.


The
guidelines
have
been
widely
publicized
by
53
national
and
local
agencies,


universities,
and
organizations
representing
juvenile
justice
and
related
fields,


and
cited
in
at
least
10
professional
information­sharing
publications.
In
addition,
several
jurisdictions
in
Colorado,
New
Hampshire,
Pennsylvania,
and


Wyoming
adopted
the
guidelines
to
develop
JIS
plans
or
craft
juvenile


information­sharing
legislation.


In
addition
to
the
guidelines,
the
JIS
Project
is
developing
a
data
model
using


Extensible
Markup
Language
(XML)
with
juvenile
justice
as
the
focus.
This


Juvenile
Justice
XML
Data
Model
will
enable
agencies
within
a
juvenile


collaborative
to
effectively
exchange
juvenile
information.


In
FY
2008,
OJJDP
launched
a
series
of
online
training
and
technical
assistance


events,
or
Webinars,
providing
information
on
technological
advances
and
issues


of
privacy.
The
first
of
the
series
focused
on
XML
and
introduced
participants
to


its
capabilities
for
improving
information
sharing.
The
second
training,
“State


Juvenile
Records
Laws
and
Interagency
Collaboration,”
provided
a
framework


for
analyzing
State
laws
as
recommended
in
the
Guidelines for Juvenile Information 

Sharing.
More
than
100
juvenile
professionals
participated
in
this
highly
anticipated
session.
Future
trainings
will
focus
on
strategies
to
make
the
sharing
of


client
information
more
accurate,
flexible,
and
adaptable.


OJJDP
is
sponsoring
an
expanding
JIS
Web
site,
which
serves


as
a
clearinghouse
for
information
on
training
and
technical


assistance
opportunities,
JIS
Project
updates,
tools,
and
profiles
of
promising
juvenile
information
sharing
efforts.


Online Resources 

Additional	information	about	the	Juvenile	Information	Sharing	Project	

is	available	from	www.juvenileis.org	and	from	the	OJJDP	Web	site,	

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp	(select	the	“Programs”	section).	The	project’s	

information-sharing	tools	are	accessible	at	www.juvenileis.org.	

2008	

31	

A N N U A L 	 R E P O R 	T
 

32 

year designated as a planning year. 

Tribal Youth Program 

In FY 2008, OJJDP received an appropriation for tribal youth programming for 

the 10th consecutive year. During this time, Congress has appropriated more 

than $120 million to promote juvenile justice in Indian country. 

OJJDP carries out this appropriation through two programs that award grants 

to federally recognized tribes for activities that prevent and control delinquency 

and improve the effectiveness of tribal juvenile justice systems. The programs 

are the Tribal Youth Program (TYP) and the Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Grants Program (T–JADG). In FY 2008, a newly funded program, 

Mentoring Programs for At-Risk Tribal Youth, awarded two grants. OJJDP is also 

funding training and technical assistance activities and research and evaluation 

programs to measure program effectiveness and identify resources and needs 

among federally recognized tribes. 

Funding 

OJJDP revamped its FY 2008 TYP solicitation to encompass a 5-year grant 

period, including a planning year. Eighteen TYP grants totaling $8 million were 

awarded in FY 2008 to tribes in 15 States. OJJDP also provided extensive training 

to FY 2008 grant recipients, including training that focused on successful community planning. 

The T–JADG program provides funds for programs that hold American Indian/ 

Alaska Native youth accountable for their offenses while providing the necessary resources and support for positive outcomes and reduced recidivism. In 

FY 2008, OJJDP awarded T–JADG grants totaling more than $1 million to the 

Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon, the Chippewa Cree in Montana, and the Fallon 

Paiute Tribe in Nevada. 

In FY 2008, OJJDP provided $2 million in funding to the Boys & Girls Clubs of 

America and $2 million to Big Brothers/Big Sisters for mentoring programs for 

at-risk AI/AN youth. 

Training and Technical Assistance 

In FY 2007, OJJDP allowed TYP grantees to designate the first year of their 

4-year grant as a planning year. This enabled newly funded applicants to request 

training and technical assistance to help them develop a comprehensive strategic 

plan and learn how to collect and use program evaluation and performance data 

during the remaining years of the award. As a result of comments submitted by 

grantees, OJJDP extended the grant period in FY 2008 to 5 years, with the first 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER 2 

In FY 2008, OJJDP entered into a cooperative agreement with Education Development Center, Inc., to fund a Tribal Youth Training and Technical Assistance 

Center to provide culturally sensitive training and technical assistance to TYP 

grantees and all federally recognized tribes in Indian country. The technical 

assistance includes access to professional staff with expertise in the development 

of culturally based approaches to prevention and intervention, capacity building, 

strategic planning, program implementation, program evaluation, and program 

sustainability. 

OJJDP also provides annual regional TYP trainings for grantees. The training 

focuses on helping tribes apply their strengths and experiences to develop and 

maintain programs that are valuable to their communities. 

In addition, TYP joined the One OJP Tribal Justice and Safety Training and Technical Assistance initiative launched by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Assistant Attorney General. This initiative provides training and information to tribal 

leaders, administrators, program managers, and grant writers on resources available from OJP and OJJDP. During sessions held in FY 2007 and FY 2008, OJJDP 

coordinated its regional training schedule to coincide with the One OJP sessions. The first One OJP session included workshops that highlighted TYP and 

T–JADG, addressed juvenile justice priorities related to public safety in Indian 

country, and provided information on available funding and resources. 

During an FY 2008 session held in Billings, MT, OJJDP facilitated a consultation session on juvenile justice issues to encourage dialog among tribal leaders 

and program representatives and other Federal agency representatives. The OJP 

Assistant Attorney General participated throughout this session, which produced numerous recommendations for Federal efforts to assist tribes. These 

recommendations are expected to be made available in late 2008. 

OJJDP staff participated in the development of a training module, Working 

Effectively with Tribal Governments, a tool for Federal employees who work 

directly with tribal governments. The workshop was designed to provide representatives of the Federal Government who oversee AI/AN programs with the 

opportunity to examine the complex cultural issues affecting the provision of 

services to diverse tribal communities, and to teach specific skills for effectively 

addressing these issues. 

Online Resource 

The training module, Working Effectively with Tribal Governments, is available at 

www.GoLearn.gov. 

2008 

33 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 
34 

completion in 2010. 

Research Activities 

OJJDP is also funding several TYP research and evaluation activities. Funded 

primarily through OJJDP’s field-initiated research and evaluation solicitations 

in 2006 and 2007, these projects demonstrate an ongoing commitment to understanding more about tribal youth and communities. 

•	 CSR, Inc. is conducting a 2-year process evaluation of OJJDP’s administration 

of the Tribal Youth Program. OJJDP will use the information from this study 

to better understand how federally recognized tribes use the grant funds 

they are awarded, and how OJJDP can better support program implementation and sustainability. The lessons learned from this evaluation will also be 

useful for other Federal and State grantmaking agencies that seek to improve 

their grant programs and training and technical assistance to tribal communities. The final report for this study is expected by mid-2009. 

•	 The National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project is examining 

Project Venture, a nationally recognized substance abuse and delinquency 

prevention program that is being replicated in more than 50 AI/AN and other 

communities around the Nation. Although the program, which originated 

in New Mexico, has been implemented nationally, little is known about its 

implementation in areas outside of New Mexico. The study is scheduled for 

completion in late 2009. 

•	 The American Youth Policy Forum is documenting three ongoing TYP 

activities and will produce a report that provides a clear picture of effective 

tribal youth programs. The report, anticipated to be released in March 2009, 

will describe connections among infrastructure, funding, and leveraging of 

resources, including volunteers and community organizations. 

•	 The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, in collaboration with 

Southern Ute Indian tribe, is conducting a collaborative evaluation of the 

TuuCai Tribal Juvenile Wellness Court. The court was established through 

OJJDP’s juvenile drug court program for substance-involved tribal youth on 

the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Ignacio, CO. The project is scheduled 

for completion in mid-2009. 

•	 Prevent Child Abuse America, in partnership with the National Indian Child 

Welfare Association and other partners—Purdue University, Macro International, and key AI/AN researchers—is studying tribal youth victimization 

and delinquency. The research is designed to increase knowledge about the 

severity and extent of tribal youth victimization, tribal adult caregivers’ perceptions of youth victimization, and intervention and treatment resources 

available to tribal youth. The 3-year study began in 2007 and is scheduled for 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

•
 

35 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 2 

The Pima (AZ) Prevention Partnership Minority Youth Border Research Initiative is exploring why justice-involved tribal and minority youth in southwestern border communities are at greater risk for early onset of substance 

abuse and long-term persistence of delinquency, victimization, and mental 

illness compared with their nonminority youth peers. Researchers will 

develop recommendations regarding specific service needs of juvenile 

justice-involved minority youth in southern Arizona. 

T–JADG GRANT HELPS TRIBE ADDRESS 

UNDERAGE DRINkING 

On the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in rural Montana, the Chippewa Cree Tribe is 

fighting underage drinking through the innovative Healing to Wellness Program, thanks to 

an OJJDP Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Grants Program (T–JADG) award. 

The Healing to Wellness Program uses the same basic strategies used by other juvenile 

drug courts in nontribal communities. 

The Healing to Wellness Program helps juveniles recognize and take steps to overcome 

their drinking problem through evaluations, individual treatment plans, and cultural 

activities designed to build self-esteem. The 9-month program partners with a network 

of agencies that sponsor youth programs that address substance abuse and foster 

healthy lifestyles. The program provides incentives to motivate tribal youth to turn their 

lives around: court sentences are deferred while the youth participate in the program; if 

juveniles complete the program, prosecution is deferred. 

The program consists of four phases with built-in accountability. The first phase includes 

clinical treatment, weekly court appearances, random drug and alcohol tests, and 

community service. Youth must be enrolled in school and participate in cultural awareness 

activities. The second phase emphasizes personal responsibility; juveniles must continue to 

meet a curfew, visit with a juvenile court counselor, and participate in drug and alcohol 

education. In the third phase, the young people begin assessing and applying what 

they have learned by mentoring other youth in the program and participating in other 

activities. During the final phase, adolescents are taught to recognize the signs of relapse, 

and the number of treatment sessions and random drug and alcohol tests is reduced. 

The tribe recently expanded the program to include 

working with parents, providing education and 

information that fosters the health and well-being 

of the entire family. The goal is to ensure that 

tribal youth grow up in an environment that 

predisposes them to success and a healthy 

way of living.
 

36 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE 

Online Resource 

TYP staff are also working with the National Center for Juvenile Justice on a 

report that summarizes national-level data on AI/AN youth. Modeled on OJJDP’s 

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: National Report, the document will focus specifically 

on AI/AN youth. The report will be available in mid-2009. 

Online Resources 

For more information about the One OJP Tribal Justice and Safety Training and Technical 

Assistance initiative, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.tribaljusticeandsafety.gov. For more 

information about the Tribal Youth Program, go to the OJJDP Web site, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ 

ojjdp (select the “Programs” section). 

Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention 

The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention continued its efforts in FY 2008 to improve the coordination of federally funded 

youth programs. The Council has nine members representing eight Federal 

agencies and up to nine practitioner members representing disciplines that focus 

on youth. The Attorney General is the ex-officio chairperson, and the OJJDP 

Administrator is the vice chairperson. The Council meets quarterly. 

Council meetings in FY 2008 focused on the following areas: youth drug abuse 

and public health challenges, OJJDP’s research on girls and practitioner perspectives on girls, the challenges facing boys and opportunities to address those challenges, religiosity and positive youth development, and a retrospective of the 

work of this Administration. 

Council staff and partner agencies spent considerable time collaborating on 

cross-agency work, including mentoring and State and local planning processes. 

Notably, staff devoted significant time to developing a set of Web-based tools 

and resources to assist Federal staff in developing, implementing, and supporting comprehensive community initiatives, as well as compiling information on 

youth-related activities among member and key Federal agencies as an aid to 

future planning. 

The Council funded four new interagency agreements in FY 2008. Funds were 

provided to the U.S. Department of Labor to support enhanced coordination 

of Federal resources for disadvantaged youth, primarily through the Shared 

Youth Vision program; to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

for activities aimed at preventing child and adolescent injuries and deaths; to the 

Corporation for National and Community Service to create a Web presence for 

the Federal Mentoring Council; and to the National Endowment for the Arts to 

expand model theater programming for at-risk youth. 

More information is available on the Council’s Web site at www.juvenilecouncil.gov. 

JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER 3
 
38 

CHAPTER 3	 Strengthening the 

Juvenile Justice System 

Through the JJDP Act 

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act, most recently reauthorized in 

2002 and implemented in fiscal year (FY) 2004, aims to treat juvenile delinquents in a fair 

and equitable manner, while ensuring their placement in appropriate facilities as needed. 

The Act authorizes the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to award 

formula grants to help States meet the goals of the Act. During FY 2008, OJJDP worked with the 

50 States, the District of Columbia, and the 5 territories, providing financial and technical assistance to assist with the implementation of the mandates of the JJDP Act. As required by the Act, 

the Office worked closely with States to develop strategies to reduce the disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with the justice system. 

The Office also worked with States to help them implement accountability-based reforms and 

to develop collaborative, community-based delinquency prevention programs. These activities 

are helping States realize the importance of forming partnerships and leveraging a variety of 

resources to help make a difference for youth by strengthening the juvenile justice system. 

Formula Grants Program 

Congress established OJJDP and created the Formula Grants program in 1974 when it passed 

the JJDP Act. The Formula Grants program provides funds to States to help them implement 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

39 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

OJJDP works proactively with States to ensure 

they maintain or improve compliance with all of 

the core requirements of the JJDP Act. A major 

focus is developing strategies to reduce the 

disproportionate number of minority youth who 

come into contact with the justice system. 

comprehensive juvenile justice plans and programs to prevent delinquency and improve their 

juvenile justice systems.1 OJJDP awarded approximately $60 million in Formula Grant funds to 

designated State agencies in FY 2008. 

To be eligible to receive a formula grant, a State must address and strive to remain in compliance 

with the four core requirements of the JJDP Act, which require States to: 

• Deinstitutionalize status offenders (DSO). 

• Separate juveniles from adults in secure facilities (separation). 

• Remove juveniles from adult jails and lockups (jail removal). 

• Reduce disproportionate minority contact (DMC) within the juvenile justice system. 2 

1 In this chapter, the term “States” also encompasses U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Wyoming does not participate in the 

Formula Grants program. 

2 In 1988, Congress first required States participating in the Formula Grants program to reduce the disproportionate number of minority youth confined in secure facilities. The issue was elevated to a core requirement in 1992, and then broadened in 2002 to encompass 

disproportionate representation of minorities at any point in the juvenile justice system. 
40 

In FY 2008, OJJDP made site visits to a number of States, provided technical 

assistance, and sponsored numerous training conferences to assist States in 

implementing comprehensive juvenile justice plans and programs to prevent 

delinquency and improve their juvenile justice systems. 

In October 2007, OJJDP held a comprehensive training in Denver, CO, entitled 

“Creating a Shared Vision for Juvenile Justice,” which provided critical training 

information for State juvenile justice specialists, Title V coordinators, Juvenile 

Accountability Block Grants (JABG) coordinators, State Advisory Group (SAG) 

members, SAG youth members, and other juvenile justice program staff. Sessions covered such topics as concrete ways to help SAGs operate more efficiently 

and effectively, key components of an effective request for proposal, and the 

importance of strategic planning as it relates to a State’s 3-year plan. This training also featured a separate SAG youth member track to enable SAG youth to 

network with other youth members throughout the Nation. 

In addition, to assist JABG and Title V coordinators, workshops pertinent to 

the various grant programs were held. These included sessions on a practical 

application of the link between child welfare and juvenile justice; an overview 

of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Office of Civil Rights; an overview of 

the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and the creation of the 

Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking 

(SMART) Office within the Office of Justice Programs; and OJJDP’s Girls Study 

Group: Working with Juvenile Female Offenders. 

Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services’ (HHS’) Administration for Children and Families 

participated in workshops on workforce development and runaway and homeless youth. The conference also featured a discussion on the implementation 

of the Shared Youth Vision Initiative by DOL, HHS, DOJ, and the U.S. Department of Education. These agencies have formed a Federal partnership focused 

on serving the neediest youth. The initiative, created in response to the 2003 

report White House Task Force Report for Disadvantaged Youth, fosters collaboration 

by youth service systems at all levels in designing and coordinating programs 

assisting this population. 

In August 2008, OJJDP held a training conference entitled “Charting the Course: 

Developing Effective Plans for the Future” in Nashville, TN. The 244 participants from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the 5 territories included 

State Advisory Group members (including SAG youth members), compliance 

monitors, JABG coordinators, Title V coordinators, and DMC coordinators. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
41 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 3 

Topics at the conference included developing an effective 3-year comprehensive 

plan, meeting the core requirements of the JJDP Act, addressing the welfare of 

juveniles in detention, preparing State DMC plans, and circumstances affecting tribal communities implementing and sustaining their own juvenile justice 

programs. The OJJDP Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Conference, 

which directly followed the Charting the Course conference at the same Nashville location, provided an opportunity for State juvenile justice specialists to 

network and collaborate with their State counterparts who administer the EUDL 

block grants program. (More information on the EUDL Conference is provided 

later in this chapter.) 

OJJDP’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) provided 

training and technical assistance to more than 1,400 participants in 34 States for 

the Formula Grants program in FY 2008. The program areas that received the 

most requests for training and technical assistance were DMC reduction and 

juvenile justice system improvement. Compliance monitoring, delinquency 

prevention, strategic community action planning, mental health services, 

gender-specific services, and planning and administration were also frequently 

requested areas of assistance. Participants included representatives of tribal communities, the court system, law enforcement, and service providers. 

ADVISORY COmmITTEE 

OJJDP obtains advice and guidance from 

the States, the territories, and the District 

of Columbia through the Federal Advisory 

Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ). The 

Committee is an advisory body established by 

the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

(JJDP) Act, as amended (Section 223) and 

supported by OJJDP. The role of FACJJ is 

to advise the President and Congress on matters related to juvenile justice and delinquency 

prevention, to advise the OJJDP Administrator on the work of OJJDP, and to evaluate the progress 

and accomplishments of juvenile justice activities and projects. FACJJ comprises appointed 

representatives from the State Advisory Groups (SAGs) of each of the 50 States, the District of 

Columbia, and the 5 territories. (SAGs are appointed by the Governors and assist their States 

in developing and implementing the juvenile justice plans their States are required to submit to 

OJJDP every 3 years in order to receive formula grant funds.) The advisory committee’s mandated 

responsibilities include preparing two annual recommendation reports—one to the President and 

Congress, and one to the Office. 

Federal Advisory 

Committee on 

Juvenile Justice 
42 

DMC Activities 

Compliance Progress 

Congress modified some of the requirements and penalties for noncompliance 

when it reauthorized the JJDP Act in 2002. OJJDP worked with the States to 

share this information and assist State agencies with training to meet the new 

mandates. The Office conducted a series of regional and national training conferences to explain the changes and answer questions, established new guidelines, 

developed documents, and updated Web pages to help juvenile justice policymakers and practitioners prepare for the legislative changes. 

OJJDP’s extensive training and technical assistance is making a difference: all 

participating States have made significant progress in achieving compliance with 

the four core requirements of the JJDP Act. For example, a comparison between 

baseline violations (based on data submitted when a State first begins participating in the Formula Grants Program) and current violations (based on data used 

to determine funding eligibility for FY 2008) illustrates the progress States have 

made: 

• DSO violations have decreased 97.2 percent, from 171,474 to 4,728. 

• Separation violations have decreased 99.3 percent, from 83,826 to 615. 

• Jail removal violations have decreased 97.6 percent, from 157,067 to 3,724. 

Compliance rates have remained steady, with the majority of States reporting 

minimal or no violations of DSO, separation, and jail removal requirements. 

Although DMC compliance cannot be measured in terms of violations, States 

must show OJJDP that they are working to reduce the disproportionate number 

of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system, and 

some States are making significant progress in this area. OJJDP’s DMC accomplishments are discussed below. 

In FY 2008, most States qualified to receive the maximum amount of formula 

grant funds on the basis of compliance status. (For more compliance information, see appendix B.) 

State progress toward achieving the goals of the JJDP Act has been remarkable. 

However, the hard work of sustaining that progress remains. OJJDP continues to 

provide an intensive program of training and technical assistance to help States 

address compliance issues. 

Despite recent improvements, minorities remain overrepresented in the juvenile 

justice system. Long a leader in the Nation’s efforts to reduce disproportionate minority contact, OJJDP continues to increase the scope and number of its 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER	3	

resources—including training, technical assistance, publications, and research 

activities—to help States address this issue. FY 2008 was a productive year for 

the DMC program and included many accomplishments. OJJDP held a national 

conference and conducted two training events in FY 2008 to address DMC. 

In October 2007, OJJDP held its 12th annual DMC conference, “Reducing Disproportionate Minority Contact in Juvenile Justice by Making the Right Connections,” in Denver, CO. It attracted a sellout audience of 450 participants from 

across the country. The conference provided critical information to support State 

and local DMC­reduction efforts and insights into next steps. The conference 

featured workshops and panel presentations on best practices that may reduce 

DMC at different juvenile justice contact points, the development and use of risk 

assessment instruments, and cultural competency training. 

OJJDP held two training sessions for DMC coordinators— 

one for novices and one for more experienced practitioners. 

The first session, “Training for New DMC Coordinators,” 

was held in January in New Orleans, LA. Fifteen new State 

DMC coordinators participated in the intensive 3­day training that focused on the role of a DMC coordinator, the ability to communicate clearly what DMC is, how to measure 

it, and how to design evidence­based strategies to reduce 

it. The training sessions offered instructions on how to 

help community groups and their SAGs work collaboratively, systematically, and continuously toward DMC 

reduction. Sessions had an additional emphasis on how to perform coordinator duties, such as how to develop and write an effective DMC compliance plan. 

“Training of Trainers for Experienced DMC Coordinators,” held in February in 

Phoenix, AZ, was designed to enhance the skills of experienced DMC coordinators so they can effectively train and guide communities within their States on 

DMC reduction. Instruction also focused on enhancing participants’ communication and group facilitation skills. 

Performance Measures 

Following is a summary of performance data reported by formula grantees and 

subgrantees: 

In 2008, States and territories reported data for a total of 1,775 subgrants across 

4 3

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

more than 900 separate organizations. This represents more than $98 million in 

funded activities. Funds were allocated to activities across many program areas, 

and the activities with the largest funding allocations included: 
 

44 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE 

of youth. 

• Delinquency prevention (29 percent). 

• Disproportionate minority contact (10 percent). 

• Juvenile justice system improvement (9 percent). 

Formula grant programs served more than 518,000 youth during the reporting 

period. Of these youth: 

• 77 percent completed program requirements. 

• 75 percent exhibited a desired change in the targeted behavior. 3 

• 9 percent offended or reoffended during the program period. 

Of the formula grant-funded programs, about 40 percent reported implementing 

at least one evidence-based program. 

Online Resources 

For more information about OJJDP’s DmC efforts, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj. 

gov/ojjdp and click on the “Programs” section, or visit the DmC Web page at www.ojjdp. 

ncjrs.gov/dmc. 

REPORT OFFERS NEW INSIGHTS INTO DmC 

With funding from OJJDP, the Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of 


Delinquency has issued the report Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Justice 


System: A Study of Differential Minority Arrest/Referral to Court in Three Cities. The 


report draws on information from delinquency studies in Pittsburgh, PA, Rochester, NY, 


and Seattle, WA, to examine disproportionate minority contact (DmC) and factors 


that might affect it at the police contact/court referral level. The report reached three 


conclusions:
 

•	 There was clear evidence of DmC at all three sites. 

•	 DmC cannot be explained by the differences in offending behavior of different 

racial groups. 

•	 DmC was substantially reduced by considering the combined effect of a 


number of additional risk factors for arrest; multiple risk factors do a better 


job of explaining DmC than does delinquent behavior.
 

3 Targeted behaviors differed, depending on the youth’s specific program goals. In the majority of cases, JABG 

programs targeted a reduction in antisocial behavior, improved school attendance, or increased social competence 

JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
45 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

CHAPTER 3 

Juvenile Accountability Block 

Grants Program 

The Juvenile Accountability Block Grants program helps States and communities improve their juvenile justice systems by implementing accountability-based 

reforms that focus on both offenders and the juvenile justice system. JABGfunded programs hold young offenders responsible for their actions by applying 

swift, consistent sanctions that are proportionate to the severity of the offense. 

JABG improves the juvenile justice system by helping jurisdictions track juveniles efficiently through the system and provide enhanced options such as restitution, community service, victim-offender mediation, and restorative justice 

sanctions. 

OJJDP distributed approximately $42 million in FY 2008 under the JABG program. Recipients must use their JABG funds to support activities in 1 of 17 program areas centered on 4 types of activities: hiring staff, building infrastructure, 

implementing programs, and training staff. 

OJJDP also provides training and technical assistance through a number of 

providers: 

•	 The National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) provides 

telephone or onsite training and technical assistance. The majority of the 

requests NTTAC received in FY 2008 for JABG training and technical assistance involved requests for corrections/detention facilities, restorative justice, 

juvenile courts and probation, detention/corrections personnel, training for 

law enforcement and court personnel, information sharing, and risk and 

needs assessment. Approximately 530 participants received training and 

technical assistance at 35 events in 16 States. Participants included probation officers, substance abuse treatment providers, family advocates, judges, 

clerks and court staff, juvenile justice residential and detention staff, community organizations, and juvenile justice coalition members. 

•	 CSR, Inc. manages the Data Collection and Technical Assistance Tool that 

OJJDP encourages States to use when submitting JABG performance measurement data. CSR staff also provide training and support on the use of the 

JABG performance measures. 

•	 The JABG Technical Support Center, established by OJJDP with assistance 

from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and a grant to the Justice Research and 

Statistics Association, provides States the data they need to calculate JABG 

allocations for local jurisdictions. 
 

46 

Performance Measures 

To assess the effectiveness of the JABG program, OJJDP developed a set of performance measures that have helped the Office, Congress, and the juvenile justice field see the progress and challenges facing the program. During FY 2008, 

OJJDP continued to work with the States to collect quantitative performance 

measure data. 

For 2008, States and territories reported data for a total of 1,552 subgrants across 

more than 900 separate organizations. This represents more than $79 million in 

funded activities. While funds were allocated to activities across all 17 JABG 

program areas, the activities with the largest funding allocations included: 

• Accountability-based programs (22 percent). 

• Court/probation programming (13 percent). 

• Information sharing (10 percent). 

JABG programs served more than 215,000 youth during the 2008 reporting 

period. Of these youth: 

• 16 percent reoffended during the program. 

• 62 percent exhibited a desired change in targeted behavior. 4 

Of the JABG-funded programs, about one-fifth (18 percent) were implementing 

at least one evidence-based program. 

In FY 2008, OJJDP reached an agreement with the Office of Management and 

Budget on annual and long-term performance measures for the upcoming JABG 

Program Assessment Rating Tool review, scheduled for 2010. 

l l l SucceSS StORieS: JABG PROGRAm 

The following descriptions are just a couple examples of how OJJDP and the Juvenile 

Accountability Block Grants (JABG) program are helping local and State jurisdictions strengthen 

their juvenile justice systems. 

Alternatives to Detention (Maine) 

The Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program in Portland, ME, was created to help address 

overcrowding in the detention unit at Long Creek Youth Development Center. ATD provides 

4 Targeted behaviors differed, depending on the youth’s specific program goals. In the majority of cases, JABG 

programs targeted a reduction in antisocial behavior, improved school attendance, or increased social competence 

of youth. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
47	

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

CHAPTER	3	

96 percent of parents/guardians (of offender) believed their child had learned something from 

96 percent of juvenile offenders believed they had learned something that could prevent a simisupervision for youth in the community so that they can be released from detention while awaiting 

their appearance in court. Services include an afternoon­evening reporting center and intensive case 

management. A system of graduated sanctions and rewards provides incentives, and community 

supports are fostered that will remain in place after youth are discharged from the program. 

Combined with other efforts, ATD has contributed to a significant drop in the detention population. 

From April 2007 through March 2008, the ATD program served 24 youth using graduated sanctions. 

The program’s effectiveness is illustrated by the following statistics: 

• 90 percent of youth leaving the program successfully completed program requirements. 

• Only 12.5 percent of youth reoffended while in the program. 

• 90 percent of youth with a goal of finding employment were placed in jobs. 

• All of the youth appeared in court as scheduled and did not interfere with the court process. 

• Participating youth completed 175 hours of service to the community. 

Juvenile
Accountability
Conferences
(North
Dakota)


Juvenile accountability conferences provide the opportunity for an offender, 

victim, and key supporters of both to come together with a trained facilitator to discuss the impact of the crime and how to repair the harm caused. 

As part of its restorative justice program, North Dakota’s Juvenile Court 

has used juvenile accountability conferences statewide as an intervention 

for misdemeanor offenders and property offenders at all levels. 

The conferences have had a tremendous impact on the individuals 

involved and increased system responsiveness by addressing reparation 

and accountability for the offenders while fulfilling concerns of the 

victims and communities. Participation in juvenile accountability 

conferences is voluntary. Satisfaction surveys, which are completed by 

the victims, parents/guardians, and juvenile offenders, have shown 

very positive outcomes: 

• 95 percent of victims stated it was helpful to meet the offender. 

• 94 percent of victims believed the offender had learned from 

the process. 

•

the process. 

•

lar incident from occurring. 

• 84 percent of juvenile offenders believed that it was helpful to meet the victim. 
48 

allocations included: 

programs in the Nation. 

Outcomes also can be measured by recidivism rates, which are based on the number of youth who 

are rearrested or seen at juvenile court for a new delinquent offense occurring 6 months after program 

completion. The program was highly successful by this measure as well: 90 percent of juveniles 

completing a juvenile accountability conference did not reoffend. This figure represents the most recent 

performance measure data and appears to be higher than the success rates of other restorative justice 

Title V Community Prevention 

Grants Program 

The Title V Community Prevention Grants Program (Title V) helps communities 

develop a comprehensive, research-based approach to delinquency prevention. 

The goal is to improve outcomes for youth by reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors in schools, communities, and families. 

Extensive research has shown that risk factors are associated with the likelihood 

that a youth will engage in delinquent behavior, and protective factors help prevent or reduce that likelihood. The Title V program provides funds that enable 

communities to address these factors in a locally suitable and sustainable manner. The program encourages local leaders to initiate multidisciplinary needs 

assessments of the risks and resources in their communities and develop locally 

relevant prevention plans that simultaneously draw on community resources, 

address local gaps in services or risks, and employ evidence-based or theorydriven strategies. 

In FY 2008, OJJDP awarded $48,360 to most States. The JJDP Act requires Title V 

grantees to garner a 50-percent funding match from the State and/or localities, 

thereby maximizing the chance of success for Title V-funded programs. 

Performance Measures 

During FY 2008, OJJDP continued to work with States to collect quantitative performance measure data. Following is a summary of performance data reported 

by Title V grantees and subgrantees: 

In 2008, States and territories reported data for a total of 288 subgrants. This 

represents more than $15 million in funded activities. Funds were allocated to 

activities across many program areas, and the activities with the largest funding 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
49 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

CHAPTER 3 

•	 Delinquency prevention (80 percent). 

•	 School programs (8 percent). 

•	 Mental health services (3 percent). 

Title V programs served more than 56,000 youth during the reporting period. Of 

these youth: 

•	 82 percent completed program requirements. 

•	 46 percent exhibited a desired change in the targeted behavior. 5 

Of the Title V grant-funded programs, more than half (54 percent) reported 

implementing at least one evidence-based program. 

Title V Training and Technical Assistance 

OJJDP offers a three-part training series to help grantees write successful 3-year 

delinquency prevention plans. The training includes: 

•	 Community team orientation, which brings together key local leaders and 

provides an overview of the Title V model. 

•	 Community data collection and analysis training, which helps participants 

review, analyze, prioritize, and present the data they have collected. 

•	 Community plan and program development training, which shows participants how to use data to develop delinquency prevention plans and how 

to select appropriate strategies using the Model Programs Guide (for more 

information, see sidebar, “Model Programs Guide”). 

During FY 2008, more than 45 juvenile justice staff and participants received 

one or more of the six Title V trainings at one of three locations, the District of 

Columbia, Oklahoma, and Utah. Because membership in a community coalition 

is a prerequisite for Title V funding, training participants included community 

leaders, program developers, researchers, and others who are involved in mobilizing the community, governing, or serving children. 

The Office also provides specialized training in performance measurement and 

evaluation, evidence-based practices, and sustainability. The training is available 

to Title V subgrantees, juvenile justice specialists, and Title V coordinators. 

5 Targeted behaviors differed, depending on the youth’s specific program goals. In the majority of cases, JABG 

programs targeted a reduction in antisocial behavior, improved school attendance, or increased social competence 

of youth. 
 

 

50 

Online Resource 

To learn more about the Formula Grants, Juvenile Accountability Block Grants, and Title V 

Community Prevention Grants programs, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp 

and click on the “Programs” section. 

mODEL PROGRAmS GUIDE 

The OJJDP model Programs Guide is a user-friendly, online portal to scientifically 

tested and proven programs that address a range of issues across the juvenile justice 

spectrum. Developed as a tool to support the Title V Program, the Guide profiles 

more than 175 prevention and intervention programs and helps communities identify 

those that best suit their needs. Users can search the Guide’s database by program 

category, target population, risk and protective factors, effectiveness rating, and other 

parameters. 

OJJDP recently expanded the Guide to include strategies and programs that 

show promise in helping jurisdictions reduce disproportionate minority contact. 

The additional programs include jurisdictional strategies and single programs. In 

keeping with its commitment to encourage collaboration, OJJDP also expanded the 

model Programs Guide to identify evidence-based programs that focus on at-risk 

and delinquent youth. The Office partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services’ Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration, the 

National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 

the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor to identify these programs. 

As a result of this collaboration, the Guide, which served as the foundation for the 

development of the Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth (described in 

chapter 1), includes proven programs that focus on youth problems such as tobacco 

use, trauma exposure, academic failure, poor interpersonal skills, family dysfunction, 

social and community disorganization, and sexual activity/exploitation. 

Online Resource 

To access the model Programs Guide, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj. 

gov/ojjdp and click on the Guide under the “Programs” section. 

l l l SucceSS StORy: TITLE V PROGRAm 

An important goal of the Title V Program is to improve outcomes for youth by reducing risk 

factors in different areas of a child’s life, including school, home, and the peer environment. Close 

collaboration between community partners offers the best hope of providing children with the 

comprehensive help they need to tackle what are often-complex problems. 

Following is a description of how one community is using Title V funding to launch a coordinated 

approach to address truancy. The approach is designed to increase public awareness about the 

problem, hold juveniles accountable, and facilitate communication between community partners. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
51	

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

CHAPTER	3	

Working
Together
To
Combat
Truancy
(Kentucky)


With assistance from Title V funding, community agencies, schools, and the 

family court in Fayette County, KY, are partnering—with notable success—to 

improve school attendance. One community organization that has made a significant difference is the Truancy Assessment Center (TAC), established in 2006. 

The center, which targets youth ages 12–17, has assessed and provided services 

to a total of 118 youth and 112 families experiencing problems with school 

attendance. TAC completes a holistic, comprehensive assessment of the family’s 

strengths, needs, and issues affecting school attendance and refers the family to 

the most appropriate community partner for services. Referrals come directly 

from the Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) and family court. Any youth 

who has accumulated three or more unexcused absences and is not receiving 

services from any other program is eligible for services. 

TAC is an important participant in the family court’s Truancy Collaboration, a 

multiagency prevention program established in 2004. The Truancy Collaboration 

meets monthly and, over the last 4 years, has changed Fayette County’s response 

to habitual truancy. In 2007, the Fayette County family court ordered FCPS to 

file a petition on every youth with 12 or more unexcused absences so they could 

come directly to court for supervision by the judge. That year, FCPS filed 855 

petitions—an increase of more than 400 from the previous year—and the family 

court processed 629 cases. 

Starting in 2007, staff from each of Fayette County’s middle, high, and alternative 

schools were scheduled to be in court on certain days. Youth are set for review 

on the day their school will be present. Having the school staff present in court 

increases accountability for both the youth and the school. TAC staff and other 

community partners share information and resources available for each case. 

In addition, TAC staff, the judge, and other community partners make a 

presentation at least once a year in all middle and high schools to provide parents 

and youth with information about resources available to assist youth and families, 

truancy laws, and the policies for and consequences of noncompliance. This new 

approach is proving to be an important tool in deterring truancy. 

Data indicate that the family court’s supervision of truant youth is highly effective. 

Partners reviewed all the youth who were seen by the family court judge on 

March 5 and 12, 2007, for a total of 37 cases. The average number of unexcused 

absences the youth had before seeing the judge was 35; the average after seeing 

the judge was 9. The University of Kentucky College of Social Work evaluated this 

information and found these numbers to be statistically significant. In the summer 

of 2008, Truancy Collaboration partners reviewed the attendance for school years 

2006–2007 and 2007–2008 of all the cases processed by the court in 2007 (a cohort 

of more than 600). 
52 

Based on the results of the 37 cases mentioned, the new system has generated 

additional funds for FCPS. Those youth increased their attendance by an average 

of 26 days, generating $13 a day for each day a youth is in school, resulting in 

additional funds of $12,506. If there is similar improvement in just half of the 600 

member cohort, the new system is easily generating approximately $100,000 each 

year for the school system. The Truancy Collaboration will use this information to 

request that FCPS sustain the Truancy Assessment Center. 

Enforcing the Underage Drinking 


Laws Program
 

The Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) program comprises both 

block grants and discretionary grants. This chapter focuses on EUDL’s block 

grants and training and technical assistance activities. For information about 

EUDL’s discretionary grants activities, see chapter 2. 

Under the EUDL block grants program, each State, the District of Columbia, and 

the five territories received $350,000 in FY 2008, totaling more than $19 million 

for the program. These EUDL funds support a wide range of activities. Many 

States focus on enforcement, emphasizing compliance checks of retail alcohol 

outlets. Other enforcement activities include crackdowns on false identification, 

programs to deter older youth or adults from providing alcohol to minors, party 

patrols to prevent drinking at large gatherings, cops in shops to keep minors 

from purchasing alcohol, youth-focused campaigns to enforce impaired driving laws, and source investigations to determine the source of alcohol and hold 

the responsible party accountable for their role in the alcohol-related incidence. 

The funds also support public education programs and innovative methods for 

reaching youth. 

The training and technical assistance component of the EUDL program has been 

instrumental in helping communities and States enforce underage drinking 

laws around the country. OJJDP’s Underage Drinking Enforcement and Training 

Center (UDETC) is managed by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation 

and provides publications, training workshops, curriculums, regional meetings, 

national conferences, onsite strategic technical assistance, teleconferences, online 

resources to include alcohol enforcement databases, and other services. In FY 

2008, UDETC conducted a total of 97 trainings, reaching more than 3,000 individuals in 29 States. 

One of the highlights of the EUDL program in FY 2008 was the 10th anniversary National Leadership Conference (NLC), held in Nashville, TN, in August. 

Attended by more than 2,000 individuals, the conference included among its 

speakers J. Robert Flores, OJJDP Administrator; Dr. Ralph Hingson, National 

Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Col. Evan Hoapili, U.S. Air Force 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

53 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 3 

(retired); and other distinguished speakers representing Federal, State, and local 

efforts. The conference focused on evidence-based strategies to reduce youth 

access to alcohol and highlighted the successes of community and enforcement 

leaders. 

A new, intensive, year-long training and technical assistance program known 

as the Leadership Institute was launched during the 2008 NLC. The program 

involves participation of pilot communities in Illinois, Montana, and Wisconsin. 

The purpose of the program is to develop and refine leadership skills for community action to effectively address underage drinking-related issues by reducing youth access to alcohol and consumption of alcoholic beverages. 

FY 2009 will launch a new youth leadership initiative called the UDETC Youth 

Council. The goal of this initiative is to provide youth ages 15 to 18 with effective prevention tools and strong leadership skills to support their work toward 

implementing successful environmental prevention in their local communities 

and States. 

Online Resources 

For more information on the EUDL program, visit the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ 

ojjdp and click on the “Programs” section and the UDETC Web site at www.udetc.org. 

l l l SucceSS StORieS: EUDL PROGRAm 

The Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) program is the only Federal initiative directed 

exclusively toward preventing underage drinking. Following are examples of how the EUDL laws 

are helping families, communities, drug abuse authorities, and law enforcement work together to 

address this serious problem. 

Alcohol Enforcement Teams (South Carolina) 

South Carolina has implemented Alcohol Enforcement Teams (AETs)—multijurisdictional 

partnerships that use best-practice enforcement strategies to reduce underage drinking. These 

strategies include enforcement compliance checks, party patrols, merchant education, and publicity 

of such activities through the news media. In 2006, EUDL funds were used to expand the number 

of South Carolina counties involved. By 2007, the State had allocated $1.6 million to create AETs in 

all 16 counties in the State. By October 2007, all of the teams were active. 

Only 5 months into FY 2008, State totals for various activities had surpassed those for all of FY 

2007. Compliance checks—visits to ensure merchants comply with underage drinking laws—had 

increased 90 percent, to a total of 2,559 checks; 185 public safety checkpoints had been operated; 

and more than 11,500 tickets had been issued for various alcohol-related offenses. In addition, 1,245 

merchants in one county had been trained through a merchant education program. 
54 

“Social Host” Ordinances (Minnesota) 

During FY 2008, three Minnesota towns passed “social host” ordinances, laws that hold hosts 

of parties criminally liable for underage drinking on their property. Social host laws have 

increased in acceptance across the Nation as young people have suffered fatal accidents after 

attending parties where alcohol was supplied by adults. 

Although the specifics of each law vary by municipality, they typically require jail time and a 

fine for adults who knowingly supply minors with alcohol, or the space in which to consume 

it. The town council of Mankato, MN, passed its social host ordinance in November 2007; 

Fairfax, MN, passed its law in December 2007; and Waseca, MN, passed its ordinance in 

March 2008. As of August 2008, 11 Minnesota municipalities had passed such laws. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER 4
 
56 

CHAPTER 4 Defending Children 

Against Victimization 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) strives to protect 

America’s children from abuse, exploitation, and victimization. Although physical and 

sexual abuse of children is not a new problem, access to the Internet has changed the 

way predators harm children. Families, child protection agencies, and law enforcement now 

must guard against online victimization of children. During fiscal year (FY) 2008, OJJDP developed significant partnerships with prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to respond to these 

heinous crimes. 

Unfortunately, many of the children the Office seeks to protect live in environments that are not 

nurturing, respectful, or protective. Whether the negative influences come from live-in partners, 

abusive adults in the home, delinquent peers, or other factors, many youth simply do not have 

the support they need to become responsible adults. Without assistance, some of these youth will 

perpetuate a legacy of delinquency and despair. With help, however, many of these youth can 

discover a renewed sense of security, worth, and self-fulfillment. That is why the Office funded 

activities during FY 2008 to prevent and reduce the negative impact of community and family 

violence on young children. 

OJJDP activities highlighted in this chapter provide a broad picture of how OJJDP is working 

with communities and law enforcement and social service agencies across the country to vigorously defend America’s children against abuse and exploitation. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

 

 

 

 

57 

OJJDP is working vigorously with communities 

and law enforcement and social services 

agencies across the country to protect children 

from Internet crimes, commercial sexual 

exploitation, abduction, and abuse. Through 

programs such as Project Safe Childhood, OJJDP 

is building a brighter future for America’s youth. 

Project Safe Childhood 

In May 2006, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales launched the Project Safe Childhood (PSC) 

initiative to improve the prosecution of computer-facilitated child exploitation and to enhance 

community outreach to educate families about risks to children over the Internet. The initiative coordinates the efforts of the U.S. Attorneys; Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task 

forces; Federal partners, including the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service; national organizations such as the National 

Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC); and State and local law enforcement officials 

in each U.S. Attorney’s district. 

OJJDP continued to support the PSC initiative through its $17 million investment in the ICAC 

task force program in FY 2008. The ICAC program is a network of State and local law enforcement cyberunits that investigate and prosecute cases of child sexual exploitation. 

OJJDP also supported the second national PSC training conference held in St. Louis, MO, in 

December 2007 and funded and coordinated the third national PSC training conference held 

in Columbus, OH, in September 2008. The approximately 1,500 conference attendees at the 

Columbus event included ICAC task force commanders and officers, U.S. Attorneys from all 

93 districts, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and community partners including State and local law 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 
enforcement officers. OJJDP and the ICAC task forces and other Federal agencies provided training in investigations, prosecutions, and other critical issues. 

PSC and ICAC previously held separate conferences; the 2008 joint conference 

allowed the two groups to conduct joint training and sharing of best practices 

while continuing to build relationships across agencies and jurisdictions. 

58	

OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	

behavior. 

tunity to participate in workshops and lectures to further their 

ment investigators, forensic experts, and prosecutors an opporThe conference provided Federal, State, and local law enforce­ The 

knowledge while providing them with the tools necessary to 

combat online exploitation of children. The training sessions 

focused on how to increase collaboration and cooperation 

among law enforcement agencies and Federal prosecutors on 

child pornography cases, forensics methods, and the legal and 

technical aspects of child exploitation cases, among other topics. At the conference, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey 

announced a new memorandum of understanding among Federal law 

enforcement agencies to share case information to improve coordination of 

investigations. 

During FY 2008, OJJDP conducted PSC trainings across the country attended 

by nearly 800 individuals. The Office anticipates holding an additional three 

training events through the end of 2008 to provide training to all U.S. Attorneys’ 

districts. 

Also in FY 2008, OJJDP led the planning of a month­long national media campaign as part of DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood initiative to combat the online 

exploitation of children. Launched in November 2008, the $2.5 million campaign 

used a combination of public service announcements (PSAs) in English and 

Spanish on national cable television channels, print ads, and Internet promotions 

such as banner ads, pop­up ads, and Webisodes. Regional promotions—radio 

spots, movie theater PSAs, and media events—also were held in four cities: 

Miami, St. Louis, Seattle, and San Diego. These cities were chosen for additional 

media exposure based on the number of Internet sexual crimes against children 

reported in these locations, population size, and media market size. 

The PSAs promote two themes: one reminds parents that the Internet can be an 

unsafe place for children and that children should be supervised when online. A 

second set of ads is aimed at men ages 18 to 40 to deter would­be sexual predators from using the Internet to entice minors into engaging in illegal sexual 
59	

A N N U A L 	 R E P O R 	T 	

CHAPTER	4	

Through outreach and 

education, we are working 

to make sure that kids know 

how to use the Internet wisely 

and safely, and parents 

know that they need to 

monitor their children’s online 

activities to protect them from 

harmful materials or personal 

relationships they may 

develop while online. 

—OJJDP Administrator 

J. Robert Flores, speaking at 

the press event launching a 

month-long media campaign 

to combat the online sexual 

exploitation of children 

While ads have been produced previously to educate parents about online sexual predators, this is the first time public safety announcements have addressed 

potential predators. The campaign was produced by OJJDP in conjunction 

with media partner Hispanic Communications Network, child Internet 

safety organizations iKeepSafe and INOBTR (“I Know Better”), and the Self 

Reliance Foundation. 

The national launch event in Washington, DC, drew DOJ officials, local 

school superintendents, members of PSC partnering agencies, law 

enforcement officials, child advocacy groups, and other organizations 

committed to the well­being of children. National media press outlets 

also attended. In his opening remarks at the press event, Administrator 

Flores stressed the need to warn the public that online sexual predation of minors is a crime and to educate parents about the potential 

threats facing their children online. 

In addition to the national awareness campaign, OJJDP supported PSC 

efforts at the local level in FY 2008 through funding to the following organizations: the San Diego Police Foundation, Web Wise Kids, Prevent Child Abuse 

Vermont, Washtenaw Area Council for Children, and the Northeast Washington 

Education Council (Educational Service District 101). These projects featured 

various outreach efforts and innovative programming to schools, youth and 

community organizations, business entities, and parent groups. Using local, 

regional, statewide, and multistate strategies, these programs provided comprehensive training, curriculums, and online educational programming designed to 

assist in providing online safety for children. 

Online Resource 

To	learn	more	about	Project	Safe	Childhood,	go	to	www.projectsafechildhood.gov.	

Internet
Crimes
Against
Children
Task
Forces


Recognizing that victimization in cyberspace poses a unique threat to the health 

and safety of children and a formidable challenge to law enforcement, OJJDP 

created the Internet Crimes Against Children task force program in 1998. The 

program has created a network of State and local law enforcement cyberunits 

that investigate cases of child exploitation. The task forces use aggressive investigations, prosecutions, computer forensics, and community outreach to address 

cybercrime. 

2008	
 

 

60 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE 

There are 59 ICAC task forces nationwide. OJJDP also has a robust training and 

technical assistance program that delivers courses on best practices for prosecutors, basic investigative techniques, undercover protocols, and other highly technical investigative tools to nearly 500 law enforcement officers and prosecutors 

annually. 

The ICAC program has been extremely successful in targeting predators who 

use cyberspace to entice children. In FY 2008, ICAC task forces received more 

than 32,000 complaints of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation. Investigations initiated from complaints have led to more than 3,047 arrests, forensics 

examinations of more than 13,800 computers, and more than 6,000 case referrals 

to non-ICAC law enforcement agencies. Also in FY 2008, nearly 29,000 law 

enforcement officers and prosecutors received ICAC training. 

A major source of complaints reviewed by ICAC task forces come from 

NCMEC’s CyberTipline, which has received more than 629,000 calls since the 

system was activated in 1998. NCMEC and the ICAC program also collaborated 

to develop a Child Victim Identification Lab. The computer lab, which debuted 

in 2006, assists NCMEC in identifying children who are depicted in child pornography pictures and movies. 

The ICAC Training & Technical Assistance Program, funded through a cooperative agreement with Fox Valley Technical College, provides training and technical assistance to the task force agencies. Training is designed for ICAC task 

force members as well as affiliated law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and 

parole/probation officers. Courses include the ICAC Investigative Techniques 

Program, ICAC Undercover Chat Investigations Training Program, ICAC Unit 

Supervisor Training Program, ICAC Trial Advocacy Program for Prosecutors, 

ICAC Child Sex Offender Accountability Training Program, and ICAC CyberTip 

Management Program. 

Online Resource 

For more information about the Internet Crimes Against Children program, including State 

task force contacts, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp and click on the 

“Programs” section. 

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children 

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) involves crimes of a 

sexual nature committed against juvenile victims for financial or other economic 

reasons. These crimes include trafficking for sexual purposes, prostitution, sex 

tourism, mail-order-bride trade and early marriage, pornography, stripping, 

and performing in sexual venues such as peep shows or clubs. CSEC is not only 

JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

61 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 4 

illegal, it brings about significant and, at times, life-threatening physical, mental, 

and emotional harm to these children. 

In its ongoing effort to educate community agencies and the public about this 

serious issue, OJJDP conducted a two-part workshop in July on its Commercial 

Sexual Exploitation of Children Community Intervention Project at the annual 

Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Abuse in Orlando, FL, sponsored by the 

Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers in collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, among other groups. OJJDP’s Intervention 

Project is expanding the capacity of communities to address CSEC. 

Also in FY 2008, the Office saw two of its research studies completed. 

• The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority’s study on the prostitution of children has helped to develop a deeper understanding of child sexual exploitation and made several recommendations on ways to aid children 

in one of the most neglected forms of child abuse. 

• The Urban Institute completed a longitudinal analysis of Federal prosecutions to determine how prosecutions influence both CSEC service providers and victims. This was the first analysis conducted since the Trafficking 

of Persons Protection Act was passed in 2000. OJJDP will publish a bulletin 

summarizing the results of this study in FY 2009. 

OJJDP: 10-YEAR HISTORY OF COmBATING CSEC 

In January 2008, OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores addressed the Anti-Commercial 

Sexual Exploitation of Children Community Intervention Project’s Training the Trainer 

Institute. The institute, sponsored by OJJDP and held in Washington, DC, trained 

individuals from nongovernmental, law enforcement, and prosecutorial agencies in 

the DC metropolitan area. Administrator Flores highlighted OJJDP’s longstanding 

commitment to fighting commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC): 

Starting with its initial efforts to address child sexual exploitation through the 

Internet Crimes Against Children task force program and the FBI’s Innocent 

Images National Initiative in 1998, the Department has expanded its efforts to 

include commercial sexual exploitation of children. In 2003, OJJDP sponsored 

a summit on the prostitution of children. That same year, OJJDP provided funds 

to Atlanta and New York City to support efforts to address commercial sexual 

exploitation of children. With the launch of Project Safe Childhood in 2006, 

the Department has organized the resources of Federal, State, and local law 

enforcement and prosecutors to aggressively attack child sexual exploitation. 

The Department is working to develop a deeper understanding of this issue 

and to facilitate the exchange of information and promising practices and 

collaborative efforts among Federal, State, and local officials.
62	

OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	

National
Center
for


Missing
&
Exploited
Children


OJJDP funds the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), 

which provides 24­hour services and support to families, children, law enforcement agencies, and Federal agencies dealing with missing and exploited children. In FY 2008, the Center received 97,842 calls and assisted in the recovery 

of 13,590 children—more than a 20 percent increase over the FY 2007 total for 

recovered children. 

NCMEC also manages the CyberTipline, which allows computer users and service providers to report Internet­based child pornography and exploitation. During FY 2008, the CyberTipline handled approximately 109,000 reports regarding 

potential child exploitation or online harm to children. Since the beginning of 

operations in 1998, the CyberTipline has processed approximately 629,000 online 

reports. 

The Child Victim Identification Program (CVIP), a mechanism to identify victims of child pornography, was used to identify more than 520 children in pornographic images and videos during FY 2008. To date, there are a total of 1,742 

identified child victims in the CVIP system. 

NCMEC also is a key participant in the annual Missing Children’s Day commemoration and the AMBER Alert program, both described below. 

Online Resource 

To	learn	more	about	the	center,	visit	the	NCmEC	Web	site	at	www.missingkids.com.	

NISmART	BULLETINS	PUBLISHED	

During	FY	2008,	OJJDP	published	two	additional	

bulletins	in	its	National	Incidence	Studies	of	missing,	

Abducted,	Runaway,	and	Thrownaway	Children	

series:	

• Caretaker
Satisfaction
With
Law
Enforcement


Response
to
Missing
Children
examines	

the	perceptions	of	primary	caretakers	who	

contacted	police	when	their	children	were	

abducted,	ran	away,	or	were	otherwise	missing.	

• Sexually
Assaulted
Children:
National
Estimates
and
Characteristics


provides	information	on	the	estimated	number	and	characteristics	of	

children	who	were	sexually	assaulted	in	the	United	States	in	1999.	
63	

2 0 0 8 	 A N N U A L 	 R E P O R 	T 	

CHAPTER	4	

Missing
Children’s
Day


The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) commemorates National 

Missing Children’s Day annually to remember missing 

children and their families and to recognize law enforcement personnel and private citizens for outstanding efforts 

on behalf of missing children. The ceremony for the 25th 

National Missing Children’s Day was held in May at DOJ’s 

Great Hall of Justice. This year’s ceremony stressed the 

Department’s efforts to bring missing children home safely 

and highlighted the progress made through initiatives that 

the Department, its components, and State and local partners have developed and implemented to protect children, 

such as PSC, which marked its second anniversary last spring. Attorney 

General Michael B. Mukasey presented awards to law enforcement officers 

and citizens who were instrumental in the recovery of missing children. 

I would tell people to make 

sure that they are open 

with their family, open with 

their children. . . . To not 

let it hold you back, to not 

let it pull you down. . . . 

Everybody has dreams and 

hopes before an experience, 

and don’t give up on your 

dreams and hopes after. 

—Elizabeth Smart, 

child abduction survivor 

and coauthor of 

OJJDP’s publication, 

You’re Not Alone: 

The Journey From 

Abduction to 

Empowerment 

OJJDP	PUBLICATION	FEATURED	ON	

NATIONALLY	SYNDICATED	TALk	SHOW	

In	may,	OJJDP	released	You’re
Not
Alone:
The
Journey


From
Abduction
to
Empowerment,
a	guide	for	survivors	of	

abduction.	The	publication	was	released	at	the	missing	

Children’s	Day	2008	ceremony	in	may	in	Washington,	DC.	

Written	by	five	young	adults	who	were	abducted	as	children,	

the	publication	is	designed	to	help	those	who	experience	

abduction	begin	to	put	their	lives	back	together.	It	joins	two	

previous	guides	OJJDP	created	for	families	coping	with	

abduction:	When
Your
Child
Is
Missing:
A
Family
Survival


Guide
and	What
About
Me?
Coping
With
the
Abduction


of
a
Brother
or
Sister.


You’re
Not
Alone
was	featured	on	a	September	10,	2008,	episode	of	the	

nationally	syndicated	Oprah
Winfrey
Show,
when	one	of	the	authors,	Elizabeth	

Smart,	discussed	her	abduction	and	recovery	on	the	program.	The	Oprah	Web	site	

featured	links	to	the	PDF	file	of	the	publication	and	a	new	child	abduction	resource	

page	OJJDP	created	for	its	Web	site	to	support	inquiries	generated	by	the	show’s	

promotion.	There	were	more	than	7,000	visits	to	the	PDF	file	of	the	publication	on	

September	10	and	11.	You’re
Not
Alone
also	was	highlighted	in	the	June	25	issue	

of	People
magazine.	

Written	by	five	young	adults	who	were	abducted	as	children,	
AMBER Alert 

The AMBER Alert program, which marked its 12th anniversary in 2008, has 

helped recover more than 430 abducted children nationwide.6 AMBER Alerts are 

media alerts that are broadcast on radio, television, and highway signs when 

a law enforcement agency determines that a child has been abducted and is in 

imminent danger. The broadcasts provide information about the child and the 

abductor that could lead to the child’s recovery, such as a physical description 

of each and a description of the abductor’s vehicle. All 50 States, the District of 

Columbia, and 2 territories have AMBER Alert plans. The program is managed 

by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), with the support of OJJDP. In FY 2008, 

nearly $4.5 million was appropriated for the program. 

AMBER Alert activities include annual national training conferences—the 

2007 and 2008 conferences were held in Denver, CO, and Garden Grove, CA, 

respectively—and local and regional training on topics such as Child Abduction 

Response Teams (CARTs) and investigative techniques. The 2008 national 

conference also provided the opportunity to share information about the 

AMBER Alert program with representatives from Mexico, France, England, 

Belgium, Greece, and Canada. 

In 2008, under a cooperative agreement with Fox Valley Technical College, 

OJJDP provided 11 CART training and technical assistance programs to 596 participants. Participating agencies were encouraged to review existing policies and 

practices and ways interagency and regional cooperation could improve missing and abducted children casework. Participants received guidance on creating 

memorandums of understanding, resource inventories, and action plans to use 

when they returned home to guide them through the development of a CART, 

thereby building a foundation for improving response capacity, resource coordination, and child recovery capabilities in their jurisdictions. 

Online Resource 

For more information on the AmBER Alert program, visit its Web site at www.amberalert.gov. 

6 AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. 

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 

64 

OFFICE OF 
 

 

 

 

 

 

65 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

CHAPTER 4 

l l l SucceSS StORieS: AmBER ALERT PROGRAm 

Following are a few of the success stories attributed to the AMBER Alert program in FY 2008: 

•	 In Lancaster, SC, a 2-year-old girl was taken from her grandparents’ residence by her 

biological father, who was in a psychotic state and not taking prescribed medication. An 

AMBER Alert was issued. The child was safely rescued in Florida after an individual who 

was aware of the AMBER Alert told law enforcement that the suspect and child were en 

route to Florida. 

•	 In Palmdale, CA, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) activated an 

AMBER Alert for two siblings, ages 5 and 9, who were taken from their custodial 

grandparents by their noncustodial mother. Past incidents had led the LASD to believe 

the children were in danger. A Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy, who was aware of the 

AMBER Alert, located the suspect’s vehicle, which was parked at a motel. The suspect was 

later identified and arrested, and both children were rescued. 

•	 In Racine, WI, an 11-month-old child was taken by force from an apartment by an 

ex-boyfriend of the child’s mother. The abductor took the child and left a note indicating 

the mother would get her child back when she repaid $2,000 that the abductor claimed she 

owed him. An AMBER Alert was issued. The abductor heard the Alert and gave the child 

to a third party. The child was returned safely to his mother. 

AMBER Alert in Indian Country 

Through its AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative, OJP has developed 

AMBER Alert plans in 13 selected tribal communities. Assessments of capabilities have been conducted at all sites, with the focus on building capacity within 

each community to respond to and investigate reports of endangered, missing, 

or abducted children. OJJDP provided a range of training and technical assistance in FY 2008 to build on these capabilities. 

Twelve sites have adopted or are in the process of adopting AMBER Alert programs, either alone or in cooperation with State and local authorities, and 10 

of the 13 tribes have passed tribal resolutions or ordinances adopting the 

AMBER Alert program. At least 10 of the participating tribal communities are 

developing their own CARTs or are participating with local agencies that have 

CART programs. 

Each of the sites received an equipment allocation to help procure the technology needed to implement an AMBER Alert. Allocations were based on several 

characteristics, including community needs assessments, tribal population, 

adoption of a tribal resolution to create an AMBER Alert plan, and participation 
66 

at AMBER Alert in Indian Country trainings and meetings. Through a donation 

from NCMEC, each of the tribes was given a computer, printer, fax machine, and 

camera dedicated to finding missing children on Indian lands. 

Interest in the AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative continues to grow, and 

there have been approximately 50 requests for technical assistance from tribal 

communities for FY 2009. 

Children’s Advocacy Centers 

OJJDP’s Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) are facility-based programs that 

help coordinate the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse 

cases. Recognizing that child abuse is a multifaceted problem, CACs involve 

multidisciplinary teams of professionals—child protective and victim advocacy 

services, medical and mental health agencies, and law enforcement and 

prosecution—to provide a continuum of services to victims and nonoffending 

family members. Working together, these professionals gain a more complete 

understanding of each case, allowing them to identify the most effective 

response. OJJDP’s CAC program is funded under the Victims of Child Abuse 

Act of 1990. In FY 2008, $15 million was appropriated for the program. 

One of the primary goals of the CAC program is to ensure that child abuse victims are not further traumatized by the systems designed to protect them. By 

developing a comprehensive and appropriate response to child abuse, CACs 

can help minimize the trauma to children who, in addition to dealing with the 

physical, emotional, and psychological effects of their abuse, may need to serve 

as witnesses in criminal prosecutions or be placed in alternate home settings. 

OJJDP supports regional CACs in the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. 

These centers encourage communities to establish local CACs and provide existing CACs with training, technical assistance, and other services. Currently, there 

are more than 700 CACs nationwide, and last year they provided services to 

more than 240,000 children. The Office also supports the National Children’s 

Alliance, a nonprofit organization that provides services to local CACs. 

An OJJDP-funded study conducted by the University of New Hampshire’s 

Crimes Against Children Research Center evaluated the impact of CACs on children, families, and communities. Researchers gathered data on more than 1,000 

cases of child sexual abuse from four CACs and from comparison communities 

without CACs. In August, OJJDP published Evaluating Children’s Advocacy Centers’ Response to Child Sexual Abuse, a Bulletin based on the study’s findings (see 

sidebar, “OJJDP Releases Bulletin on Effectiveness of CACs”). 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
67	

2 0 0 8 	 A N N U A L 	 R E P O R 	T 	

CHAPTER	4	

CACs have been growing internationally and are under development in Canada, 

Iceland, Poland, Norway, and Sweden. 

Online Resources 

For	information	on	Children’s	Advocacy	Centers,	including	the	locations	of	the	regional	centers,	

go	to	the	OJJDP	Web	site	at	www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp	and	click	on	the	“Programs”	section.	

Read	about	the	national	evaluation	of	CACs	at	www.unh.edu/ccrc/multi-site_evaluation_	

children.html.	

OJJDP	RELEASES	BULLETIN	ON	

EFFECTIVENESS	OF	CACS	

In	August,	OJJDP	published	Evaluating
Children’s


Advocacy
Centers’
Response
to
Child
Sexual
Abuse,
a	

Bulletin	summarizing	the	findings	of	the	study	on	the	

effectiveness	of	CACs	conducted	by	researchers	at	

the	University	of	New	Hampshire’s	Crimes	Against	

Children	Research	Center.	As	described	above,	the	

study	demonstrated	the	important	role	these	centers	

can	play	in	advancing	child	abuse	investigations.	

The	study	included	the	following	findings:	

• Better	coordination	of	investigations.	Police	

in	CAC	communities	were	involved	in	81	percent	of	child	

protective	services	investigations	of	sexual	abuse,	compared	with	52	

percent	in	other	communities.	Team	interviews	(two	or	more	observers)	

were	more	common	in	CAC	cases	(28	percent)	than	non-CAC	cases	

(6	percent).	

• more	medical	exams.	In	the	CAC	sample,	nearly	half	(48	percent)	of	child	

victims	received	a	forensic	medical	examination,	compared	with	less	than	

a	fourth	(21	percent)	of	non-CAC	cases.	

• more	mental	health	services.	Sixty	percent	of	CAC	children	received	

referrals	for	mental	health	services,	compared	with	22	percent	in	non-CAC	

communities.	Of	the	CAC	children	referred,	31	percent	were	counseled	

onsite	by	a	therapist	specializing	in	the	treatment	of	child	abuse	victims.	
 

 

 

68 

ful effects of children’s exposure to violence. 

Safe Start Initiative 

The Safe Start initiative is a four-part project funded by OJJDP to prevent and 

reduce the negative impact of family and community violence on young children. The initiative is expanding partnerships among family- and youth-serving 

agencies such as early childhood education/development, health, mental health, 

child welfare, family support, substance abuse prevention/intervention, domestic violence/crisis intervention, law enforcement, the courts, and legal services. 

Each tier of the Safe Start initiative was designed with a specific goal. 

•	 Phase I expanded the system of care to children exposed to violence. 

•	 Phase II is identifying what works and what doesn’t in lessening and 

preventing the harmful effects of exposure. 

•	 Phase III will build a research base of effective strategies to address 

children’s exposure to violence. 

•	 Phase IV will promote the adoption and use of these strategies across 

the Nation. 

The first phase of the initiative, the Safe Start Demonstration Project (SSDP), 

provided funding to 11 diverse sites (urban, rural, and tribal communities) and 

has been completed. SSDP created a comprehensive system that improved access, 

delivery, and quality of services for young children exposed to violence and 

their families. The communities expanded existing partnerships among law 

enforcement, mental health, domestic violence, and child welfare agencies, and 

family and dependency courts. 

An evaluation of the 11 sites conducted by the Association for the Study and 

Development of Communities found that four factors improve outcomes for 

children exposed to violence: expanding existing partnerships and implementing system-change activities, creating coordinated and comprehensive systems 

of care, institutionalizing system changes, and increasing community support. 

The second phase, the Safe Start Promising Approaches component, began in 

FY 2005 when OJJDP awarded grants to 15 communities to pilot, test, and evaluate 

innovative intervention practices. This phase is building knowledge about the 

effectiveness of evidence-based, promising programs intended to reduce the harmThe RAND Corporation is conducting an OJJDP-funded outcome evaluation 

of this second wave of communities. Researchers are examining program outcomes, startup and implementation processes, and training needs. The results 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
69 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 4 

will be used to develop an evidence base of promising practices and policies that 

yield the best outcomes for children exposed to violence and their families, and 

will be widely disseminated so other communities can replicate promising practices. The evaluation is expected to be completed in 2010. 

OJJDP is also funding a National Study of Children’s Exposure to Violence. 

The research, which is being conducted by the University of New Hampshire’s 

Crimes Against Children Research Center, is examining a number of issues 

including: 

•	 How rates of exposure to violence vary across demographic characteristics 

such as gender, race, age, and family structure. 

•	 The characteristics of individual cases of violence exposure, such as the 

severity of the event and the child’s relationship to the perpetrator. 

•	 The extent to which children disclose incidents of violence to various individuals and, when applicable, the nature and source of assistance or treatment given to the child. 

OJJDP anticipates releasing the study’s findings in spring 2009. 

OJJDP also supports the Safe Start Center, which provides training and technical assistance to the Safe Start communities. Center activities include conducting 

national teleconferences and recruiting and developing a national database of 

consultants with specific technical and content expertise. The center also convenes national and regional Safe Start meetings to disseminate information to 

grantees, national partners, and the field. 

Online Resources 

For more information on the Safe Start initiative, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj. 

gov/ojjdp and click on the “Programs” section. Additional information is available on the Safe 

Start Center Web site at www.safestartcenter.org. 

Court Appointed Special Advocates Program 

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program ensures that abused 

and neglected children receive culturally sensitive, effective, and timely advocacy in dependency court hearings, ultimately resulting in their placement in 

safe, permanent homes. Authorized by the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, 

as amended, OJJDP administers funding to the National CASA Association, 

which directs that a “court-appointed special advocate shall be available to 

every victim of child abuse or neglect in the United States that needs such an 

advocate.” OJJDP partners with National CASA to provide funding for State 

2008 
CASA organizations and new program development as well as expansion, training and technical assistance to CASA programs, volunteer advocates, child welfare professionals, attorneys, judges, and social workers. 

National CASA also helps State CASA organizations build their capacity to provide services to local programs. The program makes subgrant funds available 

to local programs to support court-appointed special advocates who provide 

advocacy for abused and neglected children in the court system. These trained 

volunteers, also known as guardians ad litem, serve as fact finders, monitors, 

facilitators, and advocates in cases where there are charges of child abuse and 

neglect in dependency proceedings. The National CASA Association serves as 

a resource center, providing support and information dissemination services. 

FY 2008 funding for the national grants program was nearly $8.5 million, and 

almost $4 million was appropriated for training and technical assistance. Currently, there is a network of more than 59,000 volunteers that serve 243,000 

abused and neglected children through more than 900 local program offices 

nationwide. Through the CASA program’s annual training efforts, a total of 

4,100 volunteers, program staff, board members, judges, attorneys, court personnel, social service workers, child advocates, and community volunteers attend 

conferences, workshops, seminars, and individual or small group sessions. 

In 2008, CASA provided a variety of training and technical assistance activities 

on topics such as program development, management, volunteer recruitment 

and supervision, resource development, public relations, child advocacy, court 

practices, legal and liability issues, case management, and data collection. Also 

in 2008, the CASA program responded to more than 33,355 requests for technical 

assistance, including 74 onsite consultations. The CASA Web site recorded more 

than 1.7 million visitors. 

Online Resource 

For more information on the Court Appointed Special Advocates program, visit the National 

CASA Association Web site at www.nationalcasa.org. 

70 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER 5
 
 

 

 

72 

CHAPTER 5	 Providing Resources 

and Information to 

the Juvenile 

Justice Field 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has a responsibility 

to keep the Nation informed about pressing juvenile justice issues and promising programs to address them. The Office also has a responsibility to provide information to help 

policymakers and practitioners replicate programs and strategies deemed effective on the basis of 

research-based criteria. 

During fiscal year (FY) 2008, OJJDP used a number of dissemination vehicles to fulfill this mission. 

The Office published statistical and research publications, highlighted throughout this Report. 

OJJDP research projects were discussed at several conferences. The Office also took advantage 

of electronic publishing and online data tools to reduce costs and release statistical information 

soon after it becomes available. The activities described in this chapter are helping to inform the 

Nation about critical juvenile justice issues and possible approaches to solving them. 

Sharing Research Findings 

OJJDP’s research activities provide valuable information about many critical issues facing practitioners and policymakers. The Office recognizes that these findings need to be widely disseminated if they are to be used to improve outcomes for the Nation’s children. During FY 2008, the 

Office shared research findings with the field through a number of online and print publications 

as well as conferences. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
73	

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

Girls Study Group Bulletin Series 

As
noted
in
chapter
1,
OJJDP
convened
the
Girls
Study
Group
(GSG)
in
response
to
the
rising


arrest
rates
for
female
juveniles.
The
GSG
aims
through
its
research
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
the
dynamics
of
girls’
delinquency
and
guide
policy
development
regarding
female
juvenile
offenders.
During
FY
2008,
OJJDP
worked
with
the
GSG
to
begin
broad
dissemination
of
the


major
findings
from
the
study
group’s
activities.


OJJDP
launched
a
new
Girls’
Delinquency
Web
page,
which
draws
on
the
GSG
and
related


resources
to
shed
light
on
the
nature
and
scope
of
girls’
delinquency
and
effective
strategies
to


address
it.
(More
information
about
the
Web
page
may
be
found
in
the
“OJJDP
Web
site”
section


of
this
chapter.)


In
addition,
OJJDP
released
the
first
two
Bulletins
in
a
series
highlighting
the
major


findings
of
the
GSG
research.
Each
Bulletin
focuses
on
a
specific
facet
of
the
study


group’s
activities.


Charting
the
Way
to
Delinquency
Prevention
for
Girls
provides
an
overview
of
the
GSG


research
and
the
Bulletins
that
address
each
issue.
This
overview
Bulletin,
which
was


featured
in
an
article
in
USA
Today,
describes
how
GSG
developed
its
plan
to
examine
and
respond
to
girls’
delinquency
and
summarizes
the
findings
presented
in


each
of
the
other
six
Bulletins
in
the
series.


OJJDP is committed to providing practitioners, 

policymakers, and the public with timely 

and reliable juvenile justice information. The 

Office’s resources include comprehensive online 

data systems; a Web site featuring the latest 

information about research, programs, and 

funding; an online newsletter; and a range of 

print and online publications. 
74	

Violence
by
Teenage
Girls:
Trends
and
Contexts
describes
recent
trends
in
girls’


violent
offending
and
examines
the
settings
in
which
girls
commit
violent


crimes.
Recent
media
accounts
have
described
a
significant
rise
in
violent


behavior
among
girls
as
a
burgeoning
national
crisis.
This
Bulletin
assesses


the
accuracy
of
these
assertions
using
the
best
available
data.


Drawing
on
information
from
official
arrest
sources,
national
self­report


and
victimization
surveys,
and
studies
reported
in
the
social
science
literature,
the
authors
examine
the
involvement
of
girls
in
violent
activity


(including
whether
such
activity
has
increased
relative
to
the
increase
for


boys)
and
the
contexts
in
which
girls
engage
in
violent
behavior.
The
Bulletin’s
findings
were
discussed
in
an
article
in
The
Atlantic
Monthly
magazine


and
other
media
outlets.


Following
are
brief
descriptions
of
the
other
Bulletins
in
the
GSG
series,
which


are
planned
for
release
in
FY
2009.


• Resilient
Girls:
Factors
That
Protect
Against
Delinquency
examines
whether
four


factors—the
presence
of
a
caring
adult,
school
connectedness,
school
success,


and
religiosity—can
protect
girls
from
delinquency.
The
publication
is
slated


for
release
in
January
2009.


• Suitability
of
Assessment
Instruments
for
Delinquent
Girls
determines
whether


current
risk­assessment
and
treatment­focused
instruments
are
appropriate


for
use
with
girls;
it
also
provides
guidance
to
practitioners
on
how
to
select


instruments
for
use.


• Causes
and
Correlates
of
Girls’
Delinquency
reviews
the
personal,
family,
peer,


school,
and
community
factors
that
can
lead
to
delinquency
among
girls.


• Developmental
Sequences
of
Girls’
Delinquent
Behavior
investigates
the
different


patterns
of
delinquent
behaviors
in
which
girls
become
involved
and
provides
insight
into
the
life
pathways
that
lead
to
girls’
delinquent
behavior.


• Girls’
Delinquency
Programs:
An
Evidence­Based
Review
examines
anti­delinquency


programs
for
girls
and
determines
whether
these
programs
effectively
intervene


in
delinquency
trajectories.


Survey of Youth in Residential Placement Bulletin Series 

The
Survey
of
Youth
in
Residential
Placement
(SYRP)
is
the
third
component
in


OJJDP’s
constellation
of
surveys
providing
updated
statistics
on
youth
in
custody
in
the
juvenile
justice
system.
It
joins
the
Census
of
Juveniles
in
Residential


Placement
and
the
Juvenile
Residential
Facility
Census,
which
are
biennial
mail


surveys
of
residential
facility
administrators
conducted
in
alternating
years.


OFFICE	OF	JUVENILE	JUSTICE	AND	DELINQUENCY	PREVENTION	
CHAPTER	5	

SYRP
is
a
unique
addition,
gathering
information
directly
from
youth
through



anonymous
interviews.



In
FY
2008,
OJJDP
released
Introduction
to
the
Survey
of
Youth
in
Residential
Placement,
the
first
in
a
series
of
Bulletins
reporting
on
the
first
national
SYRP.
The



Bulletin
provides
an
introduction
to
the
survey,
reviewing
its
background,



describing
its
design
and
methodology,
discussing
its
strengths
and
limitations,



and
summarizing
the
research
questions
it
answers
about
the
population
of



youth
in
custody.



The
remaining
Bulletins
in
the
series,
planned
for
release
in
FY
2009,
will
cover



the
development
and
design
of
the
survey
and
provide
detailed
information
on



the
youth’s
demographics,
current
and
prior
offenses
and
disposition,
family



and
educational
backgrounds,
and
expectations
for
the
future.
In
addition,
the



series
will
describe
the
conditions
of
confinement:
how
youth
in
custody
are



distributed
across
different
types
of
residential
facilities,
the
structural
characteristics
of
the
facilities,
how
youth
are
grouped
in
living
units
and
programs,



the
physical
properties
of
the
facilities,
the
quality
of
the
facility’s
environment,



the
clarity
of
the
rules,
and
the
methods
of
control
and
discipline.
The
needs
of



youth
and
the
services
they
receive
in
custody
also
will
be
described.



Online Resource 

These	publications	may	be	viewed	and	downloaded	at	the	publications	section	of	the	OJJDP	

Web	site,	at	www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/index.html.	Print	publications	also	may	be	

ordered	online	at	the	National	Criminal	Justice	Reference	Service	(NCJRS)	Web	site,	at	

www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/alphalist.	

NIJ Conference 

The
2008
National
Institute
of
Justice
(NIJ)
conference
brought
together
Federal,



State,
and
local
criminal
justice
scholars,
policymakers,
and
practitioners
to



share
the
latest
information
on
research
findings
and
technological



advances.



At
the
conference,
OJJDP
organized
a
panel
on
youth
gang



research
and
best
practices,
“Ganging
Up
on
Youth
Gangs:



Best
Practices
To
Shut
Them
Down.”
The
panel
summarized



evaluation
findings
and
lessons
learned
from
two
youth
gang



research
projects:
Evaluation
of
the
Gang­Free
Schools
and



Communities
Initiative
and
Evaluation
of
OJJDP’s
Gang



Reduction
Program.
Presenters
also
discussed
Best
Practices



To
Address
Community
Gang
Problems:
OJJDP’s
Comprehensive



Gang
Model,
a
new
OJJDP
publication
developed
by
the



National
Youth
Gang
Center.
OJJDP
Administrator
Robert



Flores
served
as
moderator.



2008	

75	

A N N U A L 	 R E P O R 	T
76 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE 

Online Resource 

www.asc41.com. 

Over the past few years, OJJDP and NIJ have supported programs and research 

to address the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children and to understand how law enforcement and victim service agencies are responding to it. 

OJJDP staff moderated a panel entitled “Commercial Sexual Exploitation of 

Children (CSEC): Pathways and Prosecution.” Panelists discussed risk factors, 

prevention, early intervention and prosecutorial efforts, as well as findings from 

a focus group of practitioners who work with sexually exploited youth. 

Online Resource 

For additional information about the conference, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/nij_ 

conference/2008/agenda.htm. 

ASC Annual Meeting 

At the 60th annual American Society of Criminology (ASC) conference in St. 

Louis, MO, in November, OJJDP announced the public release of more than 

a decade of data from the agency’s juvenile corrections data collections. The 

data—available for the first time to the general research community—will provide critical information to State and national researchers who are investigating 

and seeking answers to major policy and practice questions in juvenile justice 

and disseminating those findings to the field. 

The data collection released included the Census of Juveniles in Residential 

Placement (CJRP) (1997–2006) and the Juvenile Residential Facility Census 

(JRFC) (2000–2004). CJRP provides detailed information on all juveniles in residential facilities in the United States, including gender, date of birth, race, most 

serious offense charged, court adjudication date, admission date, and security 

status. JRFC collects information on how facilities operate and the services they 

provide, including detailed information on facility security, crowding, injuries 

and deaths in custody, facility ownership, operation, and services. 

To highlight the utility of these data files, OJJDP and the National Archive of 

Criminal Justice Data led a panel presentation at the conference. The panel 

included a historical overview of the data collections and the steps taken to 

prepare the files for public dissemination. Presenters from the National Center 

for Juvenile Justice and George Mason University provided examples of how 

researchers can use the data in these files to answer key policy questions in the 

field of juvenile justice. 

For more information on the ASC annual conference, go to the ASC Web site at 

JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
77	

2008	ANNUAL	REPORT	

CHAPTER	5	

Statistical Briefing Book 

OJJDP
has
primary
responsibility
for
developing
and
disseminating
statistical



information
on
the
juvenile
justice
system
and
does
so
through
several
mechanisms.
OJJDP
funds
the
National
Juvenile
Court
Data
Archive,
which
provides



information
about
cases
handled
by
courts
with
juvenile
jurisdiction.
OJJDP



established
the
Archive
at
the
National
Center
for
Juvenile
Justice
(NCJJ)
to
provide
automated
juvenile
court
data
sets.
NCJJ
produces
several
annual
statistical



reports
for
OJJDP
based
on
Archive
data
and
manages
the
content
for
the
Statistical
Briefing
Book
(SBB)
on
OJJDP’s
Web
site.



SBB
provides
a
wealth
of
information
for
practitioners,
policymakers,
the
media,



and
the
public.
This
online
tool
has
current
statistics
about
juvenile
crime
and



victimization
and
about
youth
involved
in
the
juvenile
justice
system.
SBB
is



especially
reliable
because
data
are
continually
updated,
ensuring
that
users



receive
timely
information.
The
site
includes
a
Frequently
Asked
Questions
section,
publications,
data
analysis
tools,
and
national
data
sets.
SBB
has
become
a



primary
source
of
information
on
juvenile
crime
and
juvenile
justice
for
individuals
in
the
United
States
and
throughout
the
world.
During
FY
2008,
there
were



nearly
700,000
visits
to
the
Statistical
Briefing
Book
and
more
than
2.1
million



page
views
on
the
site.



SBB
uses
Easy
Access,
a
family
of
Web­based
data
analysis
tools



developed
for
OJJDP
by
NCJJ
to
give
a
larger
audience
access
to



recent,
detailed
information
on
juvenile
crime
and
the
juvenile



justice
system.
The
Easy
Access
applications
provide
information
on
national,
State,
and
county
population
counts,
as
well
as



information
on
homicide
victims
and
offenders,
juvenile
court



case
processing,
and
juvenile
offenders
in
residential
placement



facilities.



During
FY
2008,
OJJDP
added
the
application,
Easy
Access
to
NIBRS:



Victims
of
Domestic
Violence,
which
allows
users
to
analyze
State­level
data



on
victims
of
domestic
violence
based
on
information
collected
by
the
Federal



Bureau
of
Investigation’s
National
Incident­Based
Reporting
System
(NIBRS).



With
this
application,
users
can
explore
the
characteristics
of
domestic
violence



victims,
including
demographic
information
on
the
victim
(age,
sex,
and
race),



victim
injury,
and
the
victim­offender
relationship.
Data
are
based
on
incidents



reported
in
2004
from
law
enforcement
agencies
in
24
States.



The
Juvenile
Court
Statistics,
2003–2004
report
was
also
added
to
SBB
in
FY
2008.



Developed
and
produced
by
NCJJ,
the
report
is
one
of
the
Nation’s
oldest
justice



statistical
publications,
dating
back
to
1929.
This
edition
profiles
more
than
1.6


million delinquency cases handled by courts with juvenile jurisdiction in 2003 

and 2004 and focuses on cases involving juveniles charged with law violations 

(delinquency or status offenses). The data used in the analyses were contributed 

by nearly 1,900 courts that had jurisdiction over more than 77 percent of the U.S. 

juvenile population in 2004. 

OJJDP also produced and added three new Fact Sheets to SBB based on data 

from the Juvenile Court Statistics report: Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Courts, 2004; 

Drug Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 1985–2004; and Petitioned Status Offense 

Cases in Juvenile Courts, 2004. (For more information, see the section, “Publications,” later in this chapter.) 

Online Resource 

To access the Statistical Briefing Book, go to the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp 

and click on the “Statistics” section. 

OJJDP Web Site 

OJJDP’s Web site remains the Office’s primary vehicle for keeping the juvenile 

justice field and the public informed about its work and about juvenile justice 

issues. OJJDP uses the latest technology to ensure that the Web site is current 

and easily accessible and navigable by users. Information is targeted to specific 

audiences, including first-time users, practitioners seeking funding information 

or statistics, policymakers, and students researching class assignments. 

The heart of the Web site is its database-driven capability, which gives users 

quick access to comprehensive information. For example, by visiting the 

“Topics” page and selecting a specific topic or subtopic, users can access all 

items related to that subject area, such as funding opportunities, programs, 

events, and publications. 

In keeping with OJJDP’s commitment to collaborate with other government 

agencies and youth-serving organizations, the Web page disseminates timely 

information about these organizations’ meetings, grant opportunities, and 

publications. The OJJDP Web site also is a prime source of information about 

President Bush’s Helping America’s Youth Initiative, which is led by First Lady 

Laura Bush, and about the many anti-gang initiatives administered by the U.S. 

Department of Justice. The Web site received approximately 52 million hits in 

78 

OFFICE OF 

same period. 

FY 2008; there were approximately 3.4 million visits to the Web site during the 

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
CHAPTER	5	

To
better
serve
and
inform
the
juvenile
justice
field,
OJJDP
is
expanding
and


enhancing
the
Web
site’s
topical
Web
pages,
which
focus
on
issues
of
particular
interest
to
the
Office.
The
following
topical
pages
added
in
FY
2008
feature


information
about
pertinent
research,
programs,
publications,
and
training
and


technical
assistance.


• The
Girls’
Delinquency
page
describes
the
Office’s
efforts


to
address
the
rising
arrest
rates
for
juvenile
females
over


the
past
two
decades.
The
page
provides
access
to
OJJDPsupported
resources—including
GSG
research,
publications,


programs,
and
training
and
technical
assistance
offerings.


• The
Commercial
Sexual
Exploitation
of
Children
page
describes


training
and
technical
assistance,
collaborative


demonstration
programs,
and
research
projects


that
OJJDP
supports
to
address
the
commercial


sexual
exploitation
of
children
and
assist
its


victims.
The
page
includes
links
to
grantees’


Web
sites
and
other
resources.


• The
Youth
Gang
Prevention
Initiative
page
includes
a
history
of


DOJ’s
efforts
to
address
youth
gangs,
descriptions
of
OJJDP’s


anti­gang
programs,
and
publications
and
other
resources.
There


are
links
to
the
National
Youth
Gang
Center
and
other
program


Web
sites,
publications,
and
additional
resources.


• The
Child
Abduction
Web
page
offers
an
array
of
publications


and
additional
resources
for
victims
of
child
abduction
and
their


families.
It
advises
parents
on
procedures
for
contacting
law


enforcement
in
the
event
that
their
child
is


missing
and
provides
links
to
national
clearinghouses
for
information
on
missing
and


abducted
children,
parent
mentoring,
and


support
programs
for
families
of
missing


children.


OJJDP
regularly
updates
each
page
and
will


continue
to
develop
new
topical
Web
pages
to
reflect
priority
areas
of
the


Office
and
emerging
issues
in
the
field.


Electronic Newsletter 

Another
popular
online
information
resource
is
OJJDP
News
@
a
Glance

7 9

2008	 ANNUAL	REPORT	

.
This


bimonthly
newsletter
is
sent
to
subscribers
via
e­mail
and
is
also
available
on


the
Web
site.
The
newsletter
highlights
major
OJJDP
activities,
updates
from

 

OJJDP-funded programs, grant solicitations and awards, new publications, 

and conferences. A special e-mail feature makes it easy to share an issue with 

a colleague, and users also can access a printer-friendly version of the newsletter. OJJDP is in the process of enhancing the newsletter’s design to coordinate 

with the recently updated design of its Web site. Subscribership has increased 

by about 138 percent over the past 3 fiscal years—from 10,346 at the close of FY 

2005 to 24,621 in FY 2008. 

JUVJUST 

OJJDP’s electronic listserv, JUVJUST, provides e-mail notices of timely information on juvenile justice and other youth service-related news. JUVJUST 

subscribers receive semi-weekly announcements about publications, funding 

opportunities, conferences, and other valuable resources, and these postings are 

the perfect complement to the bimonthly newsletter. The number of individuals 

enrolled to receive these announcements has grown from 14,275 at the end of 

FY 2005 to 20,170 for FY 2008, an increase of about 41 percent. 

Online Resource 

To subscribe to OJJDP News @ a Glance and JUVJUST announcements, go to the OJJDP Web 

page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp and click on the appropriate “Subscribe” button on the 

home page. Both services are free. 

Publications 

OJJDP collects and disseminates a broad range of juvenile justice and child protection information. The publications described throughout this Report play a 

central role in every facet of OJJDP’s mission, from enhancing opportunities for 

youth to ensuring public safety and supporting law enforcement. Following is a 

list of the major publications released by OJJDP during FY 2008. 

Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang 

Model. Guides communities responding to a gang problem in implementing 

OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model (see chapter 2 sidebar, “OJJDP Releases 

Best Practices Guide for Community Gang Prevention”). NCJ 222799. 

Caretaker Satisfaction With Law Enforcement Response to Missing Children (NIS80 

OFFICE OF 

NCJ 217909. 

MART Bulletin). Examines satisfaction with law enforcement from the perspective of all primary caretakers who contacted police when one or more of their 

children were missing (see chapter 4 sidebar, “NISMART Bulletins Published”). 

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
81	

A N N U A L 	 R E P O R 	T 	

CHAPTER	5	

OJJDP	PUBLICATION	FEATURED	IN	

New YOrk Times EDITORIAL	

The	information	provided	in	a	recent	OJJDP	Bulletin	is	helping	

inform	much-needed	public	discussion	and	policy	decisions	on	

the	transfer	of	juvenile	offenders	to	adult	criminal	courts.	

In	August,	the	OJJDP	Bulletin,	Juvenile Transfer Laws: An 

effective Deterrent to Delinquency? was	highlighted	in	

a	New York Times editorial	underscoring	the	value	of	

specialized	courts	for	young	people.	The	author	of	the	

Bulletin	cited	numerous	studies	demonstrating	higher	

recidivism	rates	for	juveniles	convicted	in	criminal	court	

than	for	similar	offenders	adjudicated	in	juvenile	courts.	The	

report	indicated	that	the	research	is	less	clear	in	regard	to	whether	transfer	laws	

deter	potential	juvenile	offenders.	

inform	much-needed	public	discussion	and	policy	decisions	on	

Charting
the
Way
to
Delinquency
Prevention
for
Girls
(GSG
Bulletin).
Describes


how
OJJDP’s
Girls
Study
Group
worked
to
understand
and
respond
to
girls’


delinquency
and
summarizes
the
other
Bulletins
in
the
series.
NCJ
223434.


Delinquency
Cases
in
Juvenile
Courts,
2004
(Fact
Sheet).
Presents
statistics
on


delinquency
cases
processed
between
1995
and
2004
by
U.S.
courts
with
juvenile
jurisdiction.
The
number
of
delinquency
cases
handled
by
juvenile
courts


decreased
7
percent
during
the
time
frame
covered
by
this
Fact
Sheet.
FS
200801.


Drug
Offense
Cases
in
Juvenile
Courts,
1985–2004
(Fact
Sheet).
Provides
data
on


delinquency
cases
involving
drug
offenses
handled
between
1985
and
2004
by


U.S.
courts
with
juvenile
jurisdiction.
In
2004,
U.S.
juvenile
courts
handled
an


estimated
193,700
delinquency
cases
in
which
a
drug
offense
was
the
most
serious
charge.
FS
200803.


Evaluating
Children’s
Advocacy
Centers’
Response
to
Child
Sexual
Abuse
(Bulletin).


Describes
an
evaluation
of
the
effectiveness
of
four
prominent
Children’s
Advocacy
Centers
and
comparison
communities
in
coordinating
child
abuse
investigations
and
providing
victim
services
(see
chapter
4
sidebar,
“OJJDP
Releases


Bulletin
on
Effectiveness
of
CACs”).
NCJ
218530.


Highlights
of
the
2006
National
Youth
Gang
Survey
(Fact
Sheet).
Summarizes
findings
from
the
2006
survey
and
reports
data
on
the
number
of
gangs,
gang
members,
and
gang­related
crime.
FS
200805.


2008	
 

82 

Introduction to the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP Bulletin). Introduces the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement, reviewing its background, 

describing its design and methodology, discussing its strengths and limitations, 

and summarizing the questions it answers about the population of youth in custody. NCJ 218390. 

Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Program: 2005 Report to Congress. Outlines the 

history of the JABG program, describes the development of the JABG performance measurement system, and highlights how JABG expenditures affected 

State and local juvenile justice infrastructures and practices in 2005. NCJ 217458. 

Juvenile Arrests 2005 (Bulletin). Summarizes and analyzes national and State 

juvenile arrest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s report, Crime in 

the United States 2005. NCJ 218096. 

Juvenile Transfer Laws: An Effective Deterrent to Delinquency? (Bulletin) Provides 

an overview of research on the deterrent effects of transferring youth from juvenile to criminal courts, focusing on large-scale, comprehensive, OJJDP-funded 

studies on the effect of transfer laws on recidivism (see sidebar in this chapter 

entitled, “OJJDP Publication Featured in New York Times Editorial”). NCJ 220595. 

Petitioned Status Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 2004 (Fact Sheet). Discusses 

petitioned status offense cases in five major categories: running away, truancy, 

curfew law violations, ungovernability, and underage liquor law violations. 

Between 1995 and 2004, the number of petitioned status offense cases handled 

by U.S. courts with juvenile jurisdiction increased 39 percent. FS 200802. 

Sexually Assaulted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics (NISMART 

Bulletin). Provides information on the estimated number and characteristics of 

children who were sexually assaulted in the United States in 1999 (see chapter 4 

sidebar, “NISMART Bulletins Published”). NCJ 214383. 

Title V Community Prevention Grants Program: 2004–2005 Report to Congress. 

Reviews the background of the Title V Program; highlights local, State, and 

Federal activities in 2004 and 2005; and outlines OJJDP’s plans for enhancing 

the positive impact of limited Title V funds in the future. NCJ 215559. 

Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context (GSG Bulletin). Examines whether 

girls’ involvement in violent activity has increased relative to the increase for 

boys and the contexts in which girls engage in violent behavior. NCJ 218905. 

You’re Not Alone: The Journey From Abduction to Empowerment. Presents several 

stories of child abduction survivors and how they have grown and developed 

from their traumatic experiences (see chapter 4 sidebar, “OJJDP Publication 

Featured on Nationally Syndicated Talk Show”). NCJ 221965. 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
83 

2 0 0 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

CHAPTER 5 

JUVENILES IN CUSTODY 

Since OJJDP’s inception, an important part of its information dissemination role has been to gather and report data on youth 

held in public and private juvenile custody facilities. The Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) and the Juvenile 

Residential Facility Census (JRFC), administered by OJJDP in alternate years, provide comprehensive data on juveniles in 

custody and the facilities that house them. In addition, the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement asks youth about their 

background and experiences. This section highlights key findings primarily from the 2006 CJRP and briefly summarizes 

information on deaths of juveniles in custody. 

Characteristics of the Juvenile Custody Population 

The biennial CJRP provides a 1-day “snapshot” of youth held in public and private juvenile detention and correctional 

facilities, including offense, gender, race, age, and other data. The following highlights are primarily from the census 

conducted on February 22, 2006. 

Overview 

• Nearly 93,000 youth—295 per 100,000 youth in the general population—were held in juvenile residential 

placement facilities on the 2006 census date. Of this number, 88,137 were held for delinquency offenses, and 

4,717 for status offenses. 

• About a third of the youth in custody had been placed in a facility by a juvenile court judge because they had 

committed a person offense, and about a quarter had committed a property offense. The most common delinquent 

offenses were assault and burglary. The most common status offense was ungovernability. 

• For most offenses, fe wer juveniles were held in 2006 than in 2001. 

Gender and Age 

Although males dominate the juvenile custody population, the female proportion has grown over the years. 

• Nearly 14,000 female juvenile offenders were in custody on the 2006 census date—comprising 15 percent 

of all offenders held. 

• Between 1997 and 2006, the number of female juveniles in custody decreased 2 percent, compared with 

13 percent for males. The number of female delinquent offenders increased 9 percent while the number of male 

delinquent offenders decreased 13 percent. The number of status offenders in custody decreased 40 percent for 

females, and 23 percent for males. 

• Female juvenile offenders in custody tend to be a bit younger than their male counterparts. In 2006, juveniles 

age 15 or younger accounted for 42 percent of females in custody, compared with 32 percent of males. The 

most common age was 16 for both females and males. 

Online Resources 

All OJJDP publications may be viewed and downloaded at the publications section of the 

OJJDP Web site, at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/index.html. Print publications also may 

be ordered online at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Web site, at 

www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/alphalist.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

84 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE 

Race 

Nonwhite youth account for the majority of juveniles in custody. 

• More than 60,000 minority youth were held in custody on the 2006 census date—representing 65 percent of all 

offenders held, with black youth accounting for 40 percent of the juvenile custody population. 

• Nationally, the custody rate was highest for black youth and lowest for Asian youth. For every 100,000 black 

juveniles living in the United States, 767 were in custody in a juvenile facility on the 2006 census date; the rate was 

540 for American Indians, 326 for Hispanic youth, 170 for Whites, and 85 for Asians. 

• The overall juvenile custody population decreased 11 percent between 2001 and 2006. The decline for white youth 

was 21 percent, double the rate of minority youth, which declined by 8 percent. 

Deaths in Custody 

OJJDP’s latest data indicate that deaths of juveniles in custody remain relatively rare. According to the 2006 JRFC, 16 youth 

died while in custody at juvenile facilities, compared with 27 in 2004. Accidents were the leading cause of death in 2006, 

accounting for 10 deaths. Four deaths resulted from suicide, one death from an illness/natural cause, and one death from a 

homicide. As in 2004, death rates were generally higher at private facilities than at public facilities. 

Online Resources 

Most of the data in this section were taken from OJJDP’s 

online Statistical Briefing Book (discussed earlier in this 

chapter). Detailed information on juvenile corrections is 

also available in Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 

National report. The custody chapter of the National 

report includes detailed information about detained and 

committed juvenile offenders, residents’ time in placement, 

security features of facilities, overcrowding, substance 

abuse screening, and sexual violence in facilities. To 

access these resources, visit the OJJDP Web site at 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp and click on the “Statistics” 

section. 

Juvenile offenders in custody, 2006 

Percent 

change 

Race/ethnicity Number Percent 2001–2006 

Total 92,854 100 -11 

White 32,495 35 -21 

Minority 60,359 65 -4 

Black 37,337 40 -8 

Hispanic 19,027 20 6 

Amer. Indian 1,828 2 -16 

Asian 1,155 1 -23 

Other/mixed 1,012 1 63

 Note: Detail may not total 100% because of rounding. 

JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
APPENDIXES
 
87 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

APPENDIX A 

OJJDP Office of the Administrator 

The Office of the Administrator (OA) establishes OJJDP’s priorities and policies, oversees the 

management of the Office’s divisions, and fosters collaboration with Federal, State, and local 

agencies and associations that share OJJDP’s commitment to preventing and combating juvenile 

delinquency and addressing the problem of missing and exploited children. 

Office of Policy Development 

The Office of Policy Development (OPD) assists the OJJDP Administrator in coordinating 

national policy on juvenile justice. OPD advises the Administrator on policy and legal issues and 

OJJDP Organization 

Administrator 

Chief of Staff 

Deputy Administrator Deputy Administrator

 for Policy for Programs 

Child Protection Demonstration State Relations 

Division Programs Division and Assistance

 Division 

Office of Policy 

Development 

Principal Deputy Administrator 

Communications 

Unit 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Grants 

Management Unit 
88 

Grants Management Unit 

constituents. 

how OJJDP can best accomplish its mission. OPD also provides leadership and 

direction for OJJDP’s research and training and technical assistance efforts and 

oversees the agency’s communications and planning activities. 

Communications Unit 

The Communications Unit (CU) is responsible for OJJDP’s information dissemination and outreach. CU develops OJJDP publications, manages its Web site and 

online services, and performs a range of writing and editing functions to support the office. CU also serves as a liaison to OJP on media-related issues. 

Child Protection Division 

The Child Protection Division (CPD) develops and administers programs related 

to crimes against children and children’s exposure to violence. It provides leadership and funding in the areas of enforcement, intervention, and prevention. 

CPD’s activities include supporting programs that promote effective policies 

and procedures to respond to the problems of missing and exploited children, 

Internet crimes against children, abused and neglected children, and children 

exposed to domestic or community violence. 

Demonstration Programs Division 

The Demonstration Programs Division (DPD) provides funds to public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals to develop and support programs 

and replicate tested approaches to delinquency prevention, treatment, and control in areas such as mentoring, substance abuse, gangs, truancy, chronic juvenile 

offending, and community-based sanctions. DPD also supports and coordinates 

efforts with tribal governments to expand and improve tribal juvenile justice 

systems and develop programs and policies that address problems facing tribal 

youth. 

State Relations and Assistance Division 

The State Relations and Assistance Division (SRAD) provides funds to help 

State and local governments achieve the system improvement goals of the JJDP 

Act, combat underage drinking, implement delinquency prevention programs, 

address disproportionate minority contact, and support initiatives to hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions. SRAD also supports and coordinates 

community efforts to identify and respond to critical juvenile justice and delinquency prevention needs. 

The Grants Management Unit (GMU) provides grant administration assistance 

and guidance to OJJDP’s program divisions. GMU also provides technical assistance and support for grant application and award activities to OJJDP staff and 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

89 

2008 ANNUAL REPORT 

The status reported in this summary is current as of November 2008. Deinstitutionalization 

of status offenders, separation, and jail/lockup removal compliance apply to fiscal 

year (FY) 2008 funding eligibility and are generally based on 2005 State monitoring 

reports.a Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) compliance is based on FY 2007 Formula 

Grants program comprehensive plans. Wyoming did not participate in the FY 2008 Formula 

Grants program. Wyoming was found to be in compliance with the DMC requirement in 

FY 2008. 

Section 223(a)(11): Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders and 

Nonoffenders (DSO) 

In compliance:b Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas,c Arizona, California, Colorado, 

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, 

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, 

Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, 

New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, 

Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Not in compliance: Mississippi, Washington, Virgin Islands. 

a In some cases, more recent monitoring reports were used to make this determination. 

b OJJDP regulatory criteria set forth in Section 31.303 (f)(6)(i) of the OJJDP Formula Grants Regulations. 

c A finding of full compliance is pending receipt of additional information. 

APPENDIX B 

State Compliance With 

JJDP Act Core Requirements 
 

 

90 

published in the May 31, 1995, Federal Register. 

e 

f

published in the May 31, 1995, Federal Register. 

g 

Section 223(a)(12): Separation of Juveniles and Adult Offenders 

In compliance:d Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas,e California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, 

Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, 

Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New 

York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Not in compliance: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. 

Section 223(a)(14): Jail and Lockup Removal 

In compliance:f Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas,g California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, 

Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, 

Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North 

Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, 

Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Not in compliance: Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virgin Islands. 

Section 223(a)(22): Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) 

In compliance: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, 

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, 

Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 

Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, 

North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Virgin Islands, Wisconsin, Wyoming. 

Not in compliance: American Samoa. 

Exempt from DMC requirement (racially homogeneous population): 

Puerto Rico. 

d

 OJJDP regulatory criteria set forth in Section 31.303(f)(6)(ii) of the OJJDP Formula Grants Regulations (28 C.F.R. 31), 


A finding of full compliance is pending receipt of additional information. 


OJJDP regulatory criteria set forth in Section 31.303(f)(6)(iii) of the OJJDP Formula Grants Regulations (28 C.F.R. 31), 


A finding of full compliance is pending receipt of additional information.
 

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION 
 

Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO) 

In compliance 52 

Not in compliance 3 

Separation of Juvenile and Adult Offenders 

In compliance 53 

Not in compliance 2 

Jail and Lockup Removal 

In compliance 51 

Not in compliance 4 

Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) 

In compliance 54 

Not in compliance 1 

Exempt from DMC requirement 1 

Compliance Summary Totals 

(as of November 21, 2008) 

Requirement and Compliance Status Number of Jurisdictions 

91 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 

APPENDIX B 

2008 
 

U.S. Department Department Department of Justice 

Office of Justice ProgramsProgramsPrograms 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Delinquency Delinquency Prevention 

OJJDP Report

*NCJ~225036*

Washington,ashington,ashington, DC 20531 

Official Business BusinessBusiness

Penalty for Private Use $300 

PRESORTED STANDARD
 

POSTAGE & FEES PAID
 

DOJ/OJJDP
 

PERmIT NO. G–91