U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Annual Report Annual Report

2003–2004 2003–2004

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

810 Seventh Street NW. 

Washington, DC 20531 

John Ashcroft 

Attorney General 

Deborah J. Daniels 

Assistant Attorney General 

J. Robert Flores 

Administrator 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Office of Justice Programs 

Partnerships for Safer Communities 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp 

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 

National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime. 
OJJDP Annual Report


2003–2004


J. Robert Flores, Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

December 2004


NCJ 206630


This Report covers activities undertaken by the Office of 


Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention during fiscal 


years 2003 (October 1, 2002–September 30, 2003) and 2004 


(October 1, 2003–September 30, 2004).

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), a component of the 

of current trends in juvenile crime and victimization, related research, and legislative 

mandates. 

During fiscal years 2003 and 2004—the period covered by this Report—OJJDP implemented significant changes in its programs resulting from the reauthorization of the 

ability to prevent delinquency and protect children. 

As the activities highlighted in the following pages evidence, OJJDP has addressed a 

broad array of problems over the past 2 years. Priority areas included child sexual exploitadissemination of research-based solutions. The Office also worked to strengthen its collaborative ties with partners at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe environment, with a chance to become a productive, law-abiding citizen. OJJDP and its partners are working to ensure that birthright by 

reducing risk factors for delinquency while enhancing protective factors, and by building a 

J. Robert Flores 

Administrator 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Annual Report 

Foreword 

U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, provides leadership and support 

to the nation’s efforts to prevent delinquency, combat child victimization, and strengthen 

the juvenile justice system. To fulfill its mission, OJJDP establishes priorities in the light 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Together with a reorganization that 

enhanced OJJDP’s efficiency and effectiveness, these changes strengthened the Office’s 

tion, female delinquency, gangs, and truancy, with an emphasis on the development and 

juvenile justice system based on fairness and accountability. 

FY 2003–2004
 iii 
Annual Report 

Table of Contents


Foreword ..............................................................................................................................................................iii


How To Access Information From OJJDP......................................................................................................viii


An Introduction to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention ..........................................1

Chapter 1: Highlighting Major Accomplishments ..............................................................................................3

Legislative Changes ..............................................................................................................................................3

Office Reorganization........................................................................................................................................3

Collaboration......................................................................................................................................................4

Information Dissemination................................................................................................................................4

Disproportionate Minority Contact..................................................................................................................4

Focus on Girls....................................................................................................................................................4

Child Prostitution Initiatives ..................................................................................................................................5

Outreach to Faith-Based and Community-Based Groups ..............................................................................5

Youth Gang Reduction......................................................................................................................................5

Tribal Youth Initiatives......................................................................................................................................5

Truancy Prevention ..............................................................................................................................................6

Chapter 2: Responding to Child Victimization ................................................................................................7

AMBER Alert ....................................................................................................................................................7

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children ..................................................................................................8

Court Appointed Special Advocate Program ..................................................................................................9

Internet Crimes Against Children ....................................................................................................................9

Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program ..........................................10

Model Dependency Courts Initiative..................................................................................................................10


National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ......................................................................................10


National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children ......................12

Parents Anonymous® Inc. ....................................................................................................................................12


Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network ..................................................................................................12

Safe Start Initiative..........................................................................................................................................13

Safe Start: Promising Approaches for Children Exposed to Violence ........................................................13

Strengthening Abuse Courts ................................................................................................................................14


On the Horizon................................................................................................................................................14

Chapter 3: Preventing and Intervening in Delinquency ................................................................................15

Blueprints for Violence Prevention Project ..................................................................................................15

Boys & Girls Clubs of America ......................................................................................................................16

Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention......................................................16


Drug-Free Communities Support Program ......................................................................................................18


Girls Study Group ..............................................................................................................................................19

Juvenile Mentoring Programs ........................................................................................................................19

FY 2003–2004
 v 
Annual Report 

Table of Contents (continued)


Promising Programs for Substance Abuse Prevention ........................................................................................20


Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative................................................................................................................20


Title V Community Prevention Grants Program ..........................................................................................21

Truancy Reduction Efforts..............................................................................................................................22

New Publications................................................................................................................................................23

On the Horizon................................................................................................................................................23

Chapter 4: Enhancing Detention, Public Safety, and Law Enforcement......................................................25

Boys & Girls Clubs of America—Targeted Reentry Initiative ........................................................................25


Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program........................................................................................25

Juvenile Faith-Based Corrections Initiative ..................................................................................................27

Girl Scout Programs in Corrections....................................................................................................................27


Juvenile Sanctions Center....................................................................................................................................28


Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative ..........................................................................................28

Chapter 5: Addressing Youth Gangs ..............................................................................................................29

Gang Reduction Program ..................................................................................................................................29

National Youth Gang Center ..........................................................................................................................31

New Publications................................................................................................................................................31

On the Horizon................................................................................................................................................31

Chapter 6: Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System ................................................................................33

Addressing Disproportionate Minority Contact............................................................................................33

Formula Grants Program ................................................................................................................................35

Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Program............................................................................................36

Juvenile Integrated Information Sharing ..........................................................................................................40


Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee..............................................................................................................41

National Training and Technical Assistance Center......................................................................................42

Performance Measures ....................................................................................................................................42

State Challenge Activities................................................................................................................................42

Targeted Community Action Planning Initiative ..............................................................................................43


Chapter 7: Implementing Tribal Youth Initiatives ............................................................................................45


Tribal Youth Program......................................................................................................................................45

TYP Mental Health Initiative ..............................................................................................................................45


Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Grant Program ......................................................................45

Training and Technical Assistance..................................................................................................................46

Conferences......................................................................................................................................................46

Research and Evaluation Activities ................................................................................................................47

New Publications................................................................................................................................................48

vi FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Table of Contents (continued)


Chapter 8: Collecting Information on Juveniles in Custody ........................................................................49

Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement ..................................................................................................49


Juvenile Residential Facility Census..............................................................................................................50

Deaths in Custody ..........................................................................................................................................51

Survey of Youth in Residential Placement ........................................................................................................52


Census and Survey of Juvenile Probation ........................................................................................................52


Chapter 9: Getting the Word Out........................................................................................................................53


Web Site Redesign ..........................................................................................................................................53

Statistical Briefing Book ................................................................................................................................53

Bimonthly Newsletter......................................................................................................................................54

Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse ......................................................................................................................54

New Publications................................................................................................................................................55

Satellite Videoconferencing ..................................................................................................................................56


Appendix: OJJDP Publications Produced in FY 2003 and FY 2004..........................................................57

FY 2003–2004 vii 
All OJJDP publications mentioned in this Report—and many more—are available from 

the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) via the Internet. 

call 800–851–3420. 

Current information on developments in the field and at OJJDP is available through 

✦ The JUVJUST listserv e-mails announcements from OJJDP and the field about 

new publications, funding opportunities, and upcoming conferences. 

✦ OJJDP News @ a Glance, 

JUVJUST—plus recent OJJDP activities—in greater depth. 

Subscribe to JUVJUST and News @ a Glance 

Annual Report 

How To Access Information 

From OJJDP 

View and download materials at OJJDP’s Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp). 

Order materials at puborder.ncjrs.org. 

To ask questions about materials, visit askjj.ncjrs.org. To order publications by phone, 

OJJDP’s free electronic services: 

a bimonthly newsletter, covers many of the same topics as 

online at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp. 

viii FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

An Introduction to the Office of Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Congress established the Office of Juvenile Justice 

and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in 1974 to 

help states and communities prevent and control 

delinquency and improve their juvenile justice 

systems. A component of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 

OJJDP is the primary federal agency responsible 

for addressing juvenile crime and delinquency and 

the problems of victimized children. Coordinating 

federal efforts in these areas is a key role of 

OJJDP. 

The Office provides funds to states and local jurisdictions, sponsors research and demonstration programs, offers training and technical assistance, and 

develops and distributes print and online documents to help states, local communities, and tribal 

jurisdictions as they strive to develop and implement 

effective programs for juveniles. OJJDP formula 

and block grant funds, for example, help state and 

local governments meet the mandates of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) 

Act and implement delinquency prevention programs. OJJDP-supported research programs are 

examining risk and protective factors for tribal 

youth, the effectiveness of promising programs for 

drug prevention and youth gang reduction, and 

effective strategies for combating juvenile female 

delinquency and violence. 

These and other OJJDP programs are designed to 

enable the juvenile justice system to better protect 

the public, hold offenders and the juvenile justice 

system accountable, and provide prevention, intervention, and treatment services tailored to the needs 

of youth and their families. Through such activities, 

OJJDP carries out its mission of providing national leadership, coordination, and resources to 

prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and 

victimization. 

This Report highlights OJJDP’s major activities 

and accomplishments during fiscal year (FY) 2003 

and FY 2004. These highlights illustrate the Office’s 

continuing commitment to supporting programs 

that have the greatest potential for combating juvenile delinquency, reducing the victimization of children, and improving the juvenile justice system. 

For Further Information 

More information about OJJDP is available on 

the Office’s Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp 

and from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (see 

information on page viii). 

FY 2003–2004
 1 
Annual Report 

Chapter 1: 


Highlighting Major Accomplishments


The 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, which reauthorized the 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, 

was signed into law on November 2, 2002. The 

reauthorization introduced important changes to 

many of OJJDP’s programs. The provisions 

originally were to take effect in FY 2003, but a 

subsequent appropriations act postponed the effective date to FY 2004 (which began on October 1, 

2003). Thus, program planning for FY 2003 could 

not begin until funds for the Office were allocated 

late in February 2003—almost halfway through the 

fiscal year. Nonetheless, OJJDP moved forward to 

begin implementing the legislative changes and to 

develop new programs and expand existing ones to 

help prevent delinquency and improve the juvenile 

justice system. Many of the Office’s activities during 

FY 2003 and 2004 focused on developing guidelines 

for the revised programs and helping state agencies 

prepare for the statutory and regulatory changes 

mandated by the 2002 reauthorization. 

Although encouraged by the continuing decline in 

juvenile arrest rates (the most recent data show that 

the juvenile arrest rate for violent crime in 2002 was 

47 percent below its peak in 1994), OJJDP recognizes that much remains to be done to prevent, 

intervene in, and treat delinquent behavior. The 

accomplishments highlighted in this chapter— 

and the other activities discussed throughout this 

Report—represent OJJDP’s efforts during FY 

2003 and 2004 to help the country address its varied and continually changing juvenile justice needs. 

Legislative Changes


OJJDP conducted a series of four regional training 

conferences to explain legislative changes resulting 

from the 2002 reauthorization, including those 

affecting the Formula Grants, Title V Community 

Prevention Grants, and Juvenile Accountability 

Incentive Block Grants programs. The conferences 

also provided information about changes in compliance monitoring and about development of performance measures to show the effectiveness and impact 

of programs. OJJDP also established new guidelines, developed documents, and updated Web 

pages to help juvenile justice policymakers and 

practitioners prepare for the legislative changes. 

For more information about these activities, see 

chapters 3 and 6. 

Office Reorganization


OJJDP streamlined its organization in 2003 to 

integrate research and other critical functions with 

program activities, thereby improving the Office’s 

efficiency and effectiveness. The reorganized 

OJJDP contains three program divisions—State 

Relations and Assistance, Child Protection, and 

Demonstration Programs—and an Office of Policy 

Development. Staff who have expertise in core functional areas—research and evaluation, training and 

technical assistance, and information dissemination— 

are now integrated within these four components. 

FY 2003–2004
 3 
Annual Report 

Collaboration


During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP worked to 

strengthen collaboration among federal agencies 

through its leadership of the Coordinating Council 

on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 

The Council addressed a number of critical issues, 

including recommendations outlined in the Final 

Report of the White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth. In addition, the new Juvenile 

Justice Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from each of the 50 states, the District of 

Columbia, and the 5 territories, began its work in 

2003. The Committee was established by the 2002 

reauthorization of the JJDP Act to report to the 

President and Congress on juvenile justice matters 

and to advise the OJJDP Administrator about the 

work of the Office. The activities of the Coordinating Council and the Advisory Committee are 

described in chapters 3 and 6, respectively. 

Information Dissemination


OJJDP continued to update and streamline its 

efforts to keep juvenile justice practitioners and 

policymakers informed about juvenile justice issues. 

Providing information electronically remained at 

the heart of the Office’s dissemination efforts in FY 

2003 and 2004, and accomplishments included an 

award-winning redesign of the OJJDP Web site. 

The Office also launched two new series of onlineonly documents. OJJDP’s dissemination activities 

are discussed in chapter 9. 

Disproportionate


Minority Contact


One of the major changes introduced in the JJDP 

Act of 2002 was broadening the concept of disproportionate minority confinement to encompass 

minority youth who come into contact with the 

juvenile justice system at any point. Long a leader 

in helping the nation address this issue, OJJDP 

further strengthened its efforts in FY 2003 and 

2004. Activities included selecting a new tool to 

help states and localities determine the extent of 

minority representation in their juvenile justice systems, providing extensive training on legislative 

changes and other topics, and developing data collection methods. The Office’s efforts to help states 

address disproportionate minority contact are discussed in chapter 6. 

Focus on Girls


Since the early 1990s, arrests of female juveniles 

have generally increased more or decreased less 

than arrests of male juveniles. For some offenses, 

including assaults, these differences are quite dramatic. OJJDP launched a major new initiative in 

FY 2004 to help provide much-needed information 

to the field about female delinquency and its causes. 

The Girls Study Group will develop the research 

foundation that communities need to make sound 

decisions about how best to address delinquency 

and violence by girls. This initiative is discussed in 

chapter 3. In addition, OJJDP recently provided 

funding support for two Girl Scouts of the USA 

programs designed to address the increasing number of incarcerated women and girls (see chapter 4). 

Preventing the victimization of girls is another of 

the Office’s priorities, as highlighted by its support 

of the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network 

(see chapter 2). 

4 FY 2003–2004

Child Prostitution Initiatives


At a White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, 

and Runaway Children in October 2002, the President drew national attention to the abduction and 

sexual exploitation of America’s children. OJJDP 

helped keep the focus on this issue by continuing 

to address the commercial sexual exploitation of 

children through several initiatives during FY 2003 

and 2004. 

One program is helping two pilot communities 

develop model strategies for preventing and addressing the sexual exploitation of children. The 

Office also sponsored two summits—including 

one that provided a forum for sexually exploited 

youth—and a videoconference. These activities are 

discussed in chapter 2. 

Outreach to Faith -Based and 

Community-Based Groups 

The President continues to stress the need to 

empower faith-based and community-based organizations to help address some of the nation’s toughest 

social problems. In keeping with this commitment to 

reach out to faith-based and community-based 

groups, OJJDP developed two new programs. The 

Office recently announced an initiative with the 

National Network of Youth Ministries, San Diego, 

CA, to help recruit mentors from faith-based communities. This program is discussed in chapter 3. An 

initiative with the Florida Department of Juvenile 

Justice, described in chapter 4, is incorporating 

faith-based resources into juvenile corrections 

programs. 

Youth Gang Reduction


According to the 2002 National Youth Gang Survey 

(the latest data available), 42 percent of law enforcement respondents indicated that their youth 

Annual Report 

gang problem was “getting worse.” This is an 

increase from the 27 percent who indicated in the 

2001 survey that the problem was getting worse. 

OJJDP began a new program in FY 2003 to 

address a full range of factors that contribute to 

high levels of juvenile delinquency and gang activity. The Gang Reduction Program, which is being 

tested in four pilot neighborhoods, encourages communities to leverage existing resources to implement 

a comprehensive gang prevention, intervention, and 

suppression strategy. Several federal agencies are 

contributing resources to this unique interdepartmental effort. The Gang Reduction Program and 

OJJDP’s other gang efforts are discussed in 

chapter 5. 

Tribal Youth Initiatives


During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP continued to 

support delinquency prevention programs and 

juvenile justice projects targeted to tribal youth. 

Reflecting the President’s desire to work with tribal 

governments in a manner that cultivates mutual 

respect and greater understanding, respect for 

indigenous customs and tribal culture remained the 

cornerstone of many of these activities. In addition 

to providing funds for programmatic activities, the 

Office continued to support training and technical 

assistance projects and research and evaluation activities. It also initiated a program to strengthen 

tribal juvenile justice systems through accountabilitybased reforms. OJJDP held two conferences on 

tribal youth issues: one at Window Rock, AZ, the 

government seat of the Navajo Nation, and a Listening Conference in Washington, DC, to foster 

collaboration between tribes and the federal government. In keeping with the President’s efforts to 

increase interdepartmental cooperation, the Listening Conference included participation by other 

Cabinet departments. OJJDP’s tribal youth activities are discussed in chapter 7. 

FY 2003–2004
 5 
Annual Report 

Truancy Prevention


Truancy, which is a risk factor for delinquency and 

many other problems, affects not only students but 

also schools and communities. During FY 2003 and 

2004, OJJDP strengthened its efforts to address 

truancy through several activities, including a new 

program that provides training and technical 

assistance to communities implementing truancy 

prevention programs. The Office also continued 

to support a truancy reduction demonstration program and began planning with the U.S. Department 

of Education for a national truancy conference to 

take place in December 2004. These and other 

truancy-related activities are discussed in chapter 3. 

6 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Chapter 2: 


Responding to Child Victimization 


Protecting children from abuse and other forms of 

victimization remained an OJJDP priority during 

FY 2003 and 2004. Although physical and sexual 

abuse of children is not a new problem, ready 

access to the Internet has added an ugly new aspect. 

Families, child protection agencies, and law enforcement now must guard against online victimization 

of children, including pornography and prostitution of children. OJJDP oversees a number of 

programs to protect children from these and other 

crimes. 

OJJDP funds programs that promote effective 

policies and procedures to address the problems of 

missing and exploited children, online exploitation, 

abused and neglected children, and children exposed 

to domestic or community violence. Addressing the 

commercial sexual exploitation of children was a 

major focus of the Office during the past 2 years. 

The Office also continued to provide research information about the numbers of missing, abducted, 

runaway, and thrownaway children. 

Although OJJDP’s many programs to protect children cover a broad range of activities, all of the programs have one thing in common: they are designed 

to help the nation respond to child victimization. 

The programs highlighted in this chapter illustrate 

OJJDP’s efforts to help keep children safe. 

AMBER Alert


In October 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft 

named Deborah J. Daniels, Assistant Attorney 

General for OJP, to be National AMBER Alert 

Coordinator. AMBER stands for America’s Missing: 

Broadcast Emergency Response. Radio and television stations broadcast AMBER Alerts at the 

request of law enforcement to notify the public 

about missing children. OJJDP provides training 

and technical assistance for the AMBER program 

through Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), 

Appleton, WI. 

During August 2003, OJP, with assistance from 

FVTC, sponsored the first National Training Conference on AMBER Alert, held in Dallas, TX. The 

conference was attended 

by law enforcement officers, broadcasters, and 

highway safety personnel. 

The conference also 

marked the launch of the 

AMBER Alert Web site 

(www.amberalert.gov), 

which features up-to-date information about 

AMBER Alerts, publications about keeping 

children safe and preventing abductions, a list of 

state AMBER Alert coordinators and local contacts, 

resources for making AMBER programs work 

effectively, and training opportunities. A second 

national conference, held September 8–10, 2004, in 

Columbus, OH, drew more than 350 participants, 

including AMBER Alert coordinators from every 

state and Puerto Rico, broadcasters and highway 

transportation officials who work on AMBER 

Alerts, and missing children coordinators. 

During FY 2003 and 2004, FVTC designed a national program of training and technical assistance 

for AMBER programs. It also worked closely with 

local and state law enforcement agencies on 

AMBER issues. 

Just 2 years ago, only 9 statewide AMBER Alert 

plans existed; today 49 states have plans in place. 

At the end of FY 2004, more than 135 abducted 

children had been recovered because of AMBER 

FY 2003–2004
 7 
Annual Report 

Alerts; three-quarters of these successful recoveries 

occurred since the October 2002 White House 

Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway 

Children, when AMBER Alert first became a coordinated national effort. 

DOJ created two new awards to honor efforts 

related to AMBER Alerts. The awards were presented at the annual National Missing Children’s 

Day ceremony in May 2004 (see sidebar on page 

11). 

Commercial Sexual 

Exploitation of Children 

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), 

including the prostitution of children, is one of the 

most overlooked and egregious forms of child abuse. 

Because of the nature of this abuse, no validated 

national statistics are available, although estimates 

of children affected range into the hundreds of 

thousands. Reports from law enforcement and those 

concerned with child protection make it clear that 

CSEC is a critical problem and that increasing 

numbers of children and youth are being sexually 

exploited through prostitution and pornography in 

the United States. CSEC also has an international 

dimension, with many victims throughout the 

world. 

In FY 2003, OJJDP furthered efforts to better 

understand CSEC and improve community prevention and response. Previously, the Office had initiated a three-pronged approach to combating CSEC: 

✦ Supporting local efforts to improve programming 

and services for exploited youth. 

✦ Raising public awareness and providing training 

to professionals to protect exploited youth and 

prevent future exploitation. 

✦ Improving coordination among professionals 

involved in prevention efforts, protection of 

exploited youth, and prosecution of offenders. 

OJJDP chose Atlanta, GA, and New York City, 

NY, as pilot sites for a 5-year initiative to develop a 

8 

set of model strategies and practices for addressing 

CSEC. The Office manages the initiative through 

cooperative agreements with the Juvenile Justice 

Fund in Atlanta and the Office of the Mayor of 

New York City. Fox Valley Technical College provides the two sites with support that focuses on 

increasing prosecutions of offenders and traffickers, 

enhancing services to victims, and using education, 

training, and enforcement activities to prevent 

exploitation. 

During 2004, OJJDP collaborated with OJP’s 

National Institute of Justice to collect data from the 

two pilot sites to determine the effectiveness of program and policy changes in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting adults involved in CSEC. The 

study is also examining the impact of services provided to exploited children and youth. 

In addition to this pilot initiative, OJJDP sponsored three high-profile events during FY 2003 

and 2004 to raise awareness of CSEC. 

✦ In December 2002, 

OJJDP hosted “Protect- Protecting Our

ing Our Children: Work- hildren Working Together ing Together To End Child To End Child Prostitution 

Prostitution,” a national 

summit attended by more than 130 practitioners, 

researchers, service providers, law enforcement 

personnel, survivors, medical and mental health 

professionals, and program administrators from 

communities across the country. 

✦ In July 2003, OJJDP provided funds to support 

the first national summit of sexually exploited 

youth. “Breaking the Silence,” organized by the 

Girls Education and Mentoring Service (GEMS) 

and held in Washington, DC, provided a forum 

for these youth. Attendees created an action 

agenda and conducted outreach to Members of 

Congress and their staffs to educate them about 

the CSEC problem and the needs of sexually 

exploited youth. 

✦ On December 11, 2003, OJJDP presented a live 

videoconference, “Working Together To Stop the 

Prostitution of Children,” in which panelists and 

FY 2003–2004

video segments highlighted a variety of promising 

strategies for combating this problem. The conference is summarized in OJJDP News @ a Glance 

(January/February 2004) and can be viewed on 

the Juvenile Justice Telecommunications Assistance Project Web site (www.trc.eku.edu/jj/ 

archive.html). 

In June 2004, OJJDP released the Bulletin Prostitution of Juveniles: Patterns From NIBRS, which draws 

on data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based 

Reporting System to present a profile of juvenile 

prostitution. A second Bulletin, Child Pornography: 

Patterns From NIBRS, to be published late in 2004, 

draws on the same data source to present a profile 

of child pornography. These Bulletins are part of 

OJJDP’s Crimes Against Children Series. 

Court Appointed Special 

Advocate Program 

During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP continued to 

support the Court Appointed Special Advocate 

(CASA) program, which helps ensure that abused 

and neglected children who are living in foster care 

(or are at risk of being placed in foster care) receive 

timely, sensitive, and effective representation in dependency hearings. Judges appoint CASA volunteers to advocate in court for the best interests of 

abused or neglected children. 

OJJDP also continued to support the National 

Court Appointed Special Advocate Association 

(NCASAA), Seattle, WA, which helps replicate and 

support CASA programs across the nation. The 

association, which represents more than 950 CASA 

programs, currently is working with communities 

that have few CASA volunteers, many abused and 

neglected children, and inadequate service systems. 

During FY 2003, NCASAA released the Standards Self-Assessment Instrument, a companion to the 

national training curriculum released in 2002. The 

self-assessment is mandatory for all NCASAA 

member programs. More information is available 

at www.nationalcasa.org. 

Annual Report 

Internet Crimes Against 

Children 

OJJDP’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) 

Task Force program helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop effective responses to 

Internet-based child enticement and pornography. 

The program includes forensic and investigative 

components, training and technical assistance, victim 

services, and community education. 

In FY 2003, OJJDP awarded ICAC grants to five 

law enforcement agencies: the Arkansas State 

Police, Gainesville (FL) Police Department, Los 

Angeles (CA) Police Department, New Jersey 

Department of Law and Public Safety, and St. 

Louis (MO) Metropolitan Police Department. In 

FY 2004, OJJDP awarded five ICAC grants to the 

Cook County (IL) Attorney General, Illinois Attorney General’s Office; Iowa Department of Public 

Safety; New Mexico Attorney General’s Office; 

Oregon Department of Justice; and Virginia 

Department of State Police. With the addition of 

these grantees, OJJDP was able to meet the President’s goal of establishing 45 task forces by 2005. 

Fox Valley Technical College provides training and 

technical assistance to the ICAC program. During 

FY 2003 and 2004, FVTC conducted 2-day workshops on how to combat the distribution of child 

pornography and use “presearch” software to 

quickly evaluate the contents of computers during 

investigations involving child exploitation. FVTC 

also developed a 5-day ICAC investigative techniques training program, based on an assessment 

of training needs of ICAC task forces. The new 

training was conducted at 18 sites during FY 2004. 

FVTC has begun to develop products for national 

distribution to law enforcement. These products 

include public service announcements by John 

Walsh, host of the America’s Most Wanted television 

series; a prevention and education series with Power 

Point slides and digitized video for use in presentations to children, teenagers, parents, educators, and 

FY 2003–2004
 9 
Annual Report 

civic organizations; and a CD and video for officers 

who respond to cases involving Internet-based child 

enticement and pornography. 

Detailed information about the ICAC program is 

available in the OJJDP Bulletin Protecting Children 

in Cyberspace: The ICAC Task Force Program and on 

OJJDP’s Web site. 

Missing and Exploited 

Children Training and 

Technical Assistance Program 

Since 1998, Fox Valley Technical College, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and 

Exploited Children (NCMEC) and OJJDP, has 

provided training and technical assistance for those 

involved in responding to cases of missing and 

exploited children. Recipients include law enforcement officers, state and local officials, staff of public 

and private child protection agencies, and school 

administrators. Training topics cover investigative 

techniques, victim and witness interviewing techniques, suspect interrogation, comprehensive team 

response, effective case management, and selected 

issues (child abuse, sexual exploitation, prostitution, 

and trafficking). 

During FY 2003 and 2004, FVTC conducted 16 

regional training and 25 technical assistance events; 

participated in 7 national conferences focused on 

missing and exploited children issues; and, with 

OJJDP and NCMEC, conducted 57 training programs on school safety, protecting children online, 

missing and exploited children, and prostitution of 

children. 

Model Dependency Courts 

Initiative 

OJJDP has supported the Model Dependency 

Courts Initiative since 1992. Through this program, 

the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court 

Judges (NCJFCJ), Reno, NV, provides intensive 

10 

training and technical assistance to improve court 

handling of child abuse and neglect cases and 

ensure timelier decisionmaking in permanency planning. The goal of Model Courts is to reduce the 

time that abuse and neglect cases remain in dependency courts. 

With OJJDP funding support in FY 2003, 

NCJFCJ assisted 25 jurisdictions in their efforts to 

improve dependency court practices. Model Courts 

supported by NCJFCJ have substantially reduced 

case backlogs, significantly improved permanency 

results for children, and increased the number and 

use of child welfare mediation and family group 

conferencing programs. More information about 

the Model Dependency Courts Initiative and the 

achievements of individual courts is available on 

NCJFCJ’s Web site (www.pppncjfcj.org/html/ 

model_courts.html). 

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

Funded by OJJDP since 1984, the National Center 

for Missing and Exploited Children, Alexandria, 

VA, is the nation’s resource center and clearinghouse for missing and exploited children. It is the 

only nonprofit organization with a 24-hour hotline 

(800–843–5678) that can handle calls in more than 

140 languages. NCMEC staff includes representatives from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

Postal Inspection Services, Secret Service, and 

State Department. 

During FY 2003, NCMEC answered 67,150 calls 

on its hotline and assisted in the recovery of 7,100 

children. During the first two quarters of FY 2004, 

the center answered 35,071 hotline calls and assisted 

in the recovery of 4,616 children. NCMEC’s recovery rate for missing children has risen from 62 percent in 1990 to 94 percent in 2004. 

NCMEC works with the private sector to distribute 

photos of missing children. During FY 2003, 228 

children were found as a result of this program; 147 

FY 2003–2004

children were found during the first two quarters 

of FY 2004. Statistics indicate that approximately 1 

child in 6 featured in the NCMEC photo distribution system is recovered. 

During FY 2003, NCMEC established the Family 

Advocacy Division (FAD) and Team Adam to better serve families of missing and sexually exploited 

children. Staffed by social services and law enforcement professionals, FAD works proactively with 

families, law enforcement, and family advocacy 

agencies to provide technical assistance, referrals, 

and crisis intervention services. Patterned after 

the National Transportation Safety Board rapidresponse teams that immediately visit the sites of 

serious incidents, Team Adam sends rapid-response 

teams of experts (retired law enforcement officers 

with special training) to the sites of serious cases of 

child abduction and sexual exploitation. 

NCMEC manages the CyberTipline (www. 

cybertipline.com), which allows computer users 

and service providers to report information about 

Internet-based child pornography and exploitation. 

During FY 2003, the CyberTipline received 53,453 

reports. During the first three quarters of FY 2004, 

it received 96,605 reports. The CyberTipline added 

a new “misleading domain name” reporting feature 

in 2004. The addition was prompted by a DOJ initiative to crack down on misleading Internet domain 

names following enactment of the Prosecutorial 

Remedies and Tools Against the Exploitation of 

Children Today Act, which makes it a crime to use 

a misleading name to deceive minors into viewing 

harmful material on the Internet. In conjunction 

with the Ad Council, NCMEC launched a multimedia campaign to raise awareness of online sexual 

exploitation and help parents and teens guard 

against online sexual predators. 

NCMEC provides training and technical assistance 

to law enforcement and other agencies through a 

number of programs, including the Jimmy Ryce 

Law Enforcement Training Center. More detailed 

information about NCMEC is available on its Web 

site (www.missingkids.com). 

ington, DC, and a number of 

that bound her hands and feet. 

Smart, the father of Elizabeth Smart of Salt Lake 

OJJDP News @ a Glance. 

Annual Report 

National Missing Children’s Day 

Each May since 1996, OJJDP 

and NCMEC have organized 

a ceremony commemorating 

America’s missing children 

and their families. The ceremonies are held at DOJ’s 

Great Hall of Justice in Washawards, including law enforcement and leadership awards, are presented. 

Speakers at the 2003 ceremony included Patty 

Wetterling, child advocate and mother of Jacob 

Wetterling, who has been missing since 1989. An 

award for courage was presented to Erica Pratt, a 

young girl from Pennsylvania who escaped from 

her abductors by chewing through the duct tape 

The 2004 ceremony included remarks by Ed 

City, UT, who was abducted and safely recovered. 

Elizabeth received the award for courage for 

telling law enforcement officers of her true identity when her captors were nearby. The first 

AMBER Alert Citizen Award went to Al Joy and 

Jason Roden, from Chattanooga, TN, for their role 

in the recovery of three children abducted by a 

suspected murderer. The AMBER and Missing 

Children’s Media Award went to John Walsh on 

behalf of the television program America’s Most 

Wanted for its efforts to recover missing children 

over the years. 

For more information about the ceremonies, 

including names of other award recipients, see 

the May/June 2003 and May/June 2004 issues of 

FY 2003–2004
 11 
Annual Report 

National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, 

and Thrownaway Children 

Following the release of findings from the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children 

(NISMART–2) at the October 2002 White House 

Summit on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway 

Children, the NISMART research team presented 

its findings at several national conferences and 

workshops attended by researchers, practitioners, 

and policymakers. They continued to document the 

database so that other researchers can analyze the 

public-use datafile. The team also prepared two 

new OJJDP Bulletins, described below, which are 

slated for release later in 2004. 

✦ National Estimates of Missing Children: Selected Trends, 

1988–1999 describes historical trends in the rate of 

missing children in three categories (family abductions, runaways, and lost/injured/otherwise 

missing children). The Bulletin reports encouraging news: no evidence of any increase in the incidence of missing children, and decreases in 

incidence rates for some types of episodes. 

✦ National Estimates of Children Missing Involuntarily 

or for Benign Reasons reports that in 1999, an estimated 204,500 children were involuntarily missing from their caretakers because they were lost, 

injured, or stranded; 68,100 of these children 

were reported to authorities for assistance in 

locating them. An estimated 340,500 children 

reported as missing were missing as a result of 

benign circumstances and miscommunications 

that resulted in no harm to the child; these children constituted 43 percent of children reported 

missing in all categories. 

Parents Anonymous® Inc.


Through funding earmarked by Congress, OJJDP 

provided almost $3 million to Parents Anonymous® 

in FY 2003 and in FY 2004. Through its network of 

accredited organizations, Parents Anonymous® 

12 

partners with communities to prevent child abuse 

and juvenile delinquency. OJJDP funding was 

used to implement a performance-based accreditation process and expand the number of Parents 

Anonymous® accredited organizations, respond to 

several thousand requests for training and technical 

assistance, disseminate new and existing program 

materials nationwide, and develop marketing activities for the launching of National Parent Leadership 

Month. 

OJJDP is funding an evaluation of Parents Anonymous® conducted by the National Council on Crime 

and Delinquency, Oakland, CA. The evaluation is 

assessing the implementation and effectiveness of 

the self-help intervention strategy for addressing 

child abuse and neglect. Findings are expected in 

2005. 

More information about Parents Anonymous® 

is available on the organization’s Web site (www. 

parentsanonymous.org). 

Rape , Abuse , and Incest 

National Network 

In FY 2004, OJJDP provided $250,000 in funding 

to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network 

(RAINN) to develop an innovative resource for 

sexual assault survivors: the nation’s first national 

online hotline. The online hotline project is funded 

in collaboration with DOJ’s Office on Violence 

Against Women through an interagency agreement. 

RAINN has also raised significant support from the 

business community. The secure, anonymous hotline 

will provide trained counselors to offer real-time 

assistance to people seeking information, resources, 

or crisis counseling around issues of sexual assault. 

Program staff at OJJDP are assisting RAINN in 

forming a technical working group to address critical issues such as confidentiality and safety for 

victims and helping RAINN identify appropriate 

outcomes and benchmarks to measure the progress 

of the project. A prototype of the hotline is under 

development this year, and public testing of the 

system will begin in summer or fall 2005. 

FY 2003–2004

Safe Start Initiative


In response to emerging statistics and research on 

the prevalence and impact of children’s exposure to 

violence, OJJDP and other agencies in OJP and 

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services developed the Safe Start Initiative in 1999. The 

initiative is helping 11 communities develop and 

implement comprehensive programs to prevent family and community violence and reduce its impact 

on young children (primarily from birth to age 6) 

and their families. Participating sites are Baltimore, 

MD; Bridgeport, CT; Chatham County, NC; Chicago, IL; Monroe County, NY; Pinellas County, FL; 

San Francisco, CA; Spokane, WA; Washington 

County, ME; and two tribal sites—Sitka Tribe, AK, 

and Zuni Pueblo, NM. 

The communities are expanding existing partnerships among service providers in key areas such as 

early childhood education/development, health, 

mental health, child welfare, family support, substance abuse prevention/intervention, domestic 

violence/crisis intervention, law enforcement, 

courts, and legal services. These partnerships are 

helping to improve the accessibility, delivery, and 

quality of services for young children who have 

been exposed or who are at high risk of exposure 

to violence. 

Key successes at the Safe Start sites include the 

following: 

✦ Developing the first analysis of police reports 

of domestic violence, which have resulted in the 

first credible estimates of the number of children 

exposed to violence in the Safe Start jurisdictions 

each year. 

✦ Creating new policies and protocols to improve 

court information systems that track progress in 

achieving permanent placements for abused and 

neglected children. 

✦ Designing award-winning public awareness 

campaigns that have had a measurable effect on 

Annual Report 

community response to children who witness 

violence. 

✦ Leveraging funds and in-kind support totaling 

more than $4.5 million. 

✦ Instituting new policies to increase the prosecution of cases of child abuse. 

✦ Surveying men whose violent actions have 

brought them to the attention of batterer intervention programs and using the information to 

develop intervention strategies and a training 

curriculum for family support staff who work 

with violent parents. 

OJJDP is funding a process and outcome evaluation of the Safe Start Initiative, conducted by the 

Association for the Study and Development of 

Community, Gaithersburg, MD, and Caliber Associates, Fairfax, VA. Findings are expected in 2005. 

Safe Start : Promising Approaches for Children 

Exposed to Violence 

Building on the success of the Safe Start Initiative, 

OJJDP developed a new initiative in FY 2004. 

Safe Start: Promising Approaches for Children 

Exposed to Violence will provide funding to help 

communities reduce the impact of children’s exposure to violence. The project focuses on children 

ages 6 and younger and their families. Its goal is to 

collaboratively develop, implement, and evaluate 

promising practices and policies to reduce the harmful effects of children’s exposure to violence by 

increasing the identification of developmentally 

appropriate services, improving access to these 

services, and enhancing the quality and delivery 

of services. OJJDP will select as many as 14 applicants to receive up to $210,000 annually for up to 4 

years to implement the most promising approaches 

(based on current research) to reducing the impact 

FY 2003–2004
 13 
Annual Report 

of children’s exposure to violence. The Office plans 

to announce recipients in early 2005. 

OJJDP also supports a Girl Scout program, Project Anti-Violence Education, that shows youth how 

to recognize signs of domestic and community violence. This program is described in chapter 4. 

Strengthening Abuse Courts


During FY 2003, OJJDP awarded seven grants 

(to 6 pilot sites and the American Bar Association 

Fund for Justice and Education) totaling $1.8 million to help child abuse and neglect courts develop, 

implement, and maintain automated information 

systems that enhance compliance with the Adoption 

and Safe Families Act of 1997. The awards were 

part of the Strengthening Abuse and Neglect 

Courts in America: Management Information Systems Project. Through this program, the American 

Bar Association, Chicago, IL, in partnership with 

the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court 

Judges, Reno, NV, and the National Center for 

State Courts, Williamsburg, VA, provides training 

and technical assistance to six pilot sites: the Colorado Judicial Department, Supreme Court of 

Georgia, Idaho Supreme Court, New Jersey Judiciary, Supreme Court of Florida, and Supreme 

Court of Virginia. 

On the Horizon


OJJDP developed the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series in 1996, in response to 

requests from police officers and detectives for 

clear, accessible information about how to investigate cases of child abuse and neglect and related 

child fatalities. Designed to fit into a patrol car’s 

glove box, the guides are extremely popular—all 

13 have been reprinted, some as many as 3 times. 

OJJDP recently reviewed the series and began 

updating two guides and developing a new one. 

During FY 2005, the Office anticipates publishing 

revised editions of Use of Computers in the Sexual 

Exploitation of Children and Law Enforcement Responses 

to Child Abduction and a new guide on law enforcement response to child fatalities. 

14 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Chapter 3: 


Preventing and Intervening in Delinquency 


Preventing delinquency before it occurs and intervening swiftly and appropriately when it does occur 

are critical components of an effective response to 

juvenile delinquency and violence. OJJDP has 

long supported this concept and continued to do so 

in the past 2 years through a number of prevention 

and intervention initiatives. 

OJJDP activities in FY 2003 and 2004 focused on 

helping communities use their limited resources to 

replicate programs deemed effective on the basis of 

stringent, research-based criteria; providing guidance and funding to help communities implement 

local prevention programs; and working to help 

coordinate federal programs related to delinquency 

prevention and missing and exploited children. The 

Office also placed special emphasis on helping communities and school districts address the problem 

of truancy—an early warning sign of possible delinquent behavior. In addition, OJJDP released several new publications related to preventing child 

delinquency. 

The programs described in this chapter are diverse 

in design and implementation. Together, they reflect 

OJJDP’s ongoing commitment to helping communities intervene early and effectively in children’s 

lives before delinquency evolves into a serious pattern of more serious, and perhaps violent, behavior. 

Blueprints for Violence 

Prevention Project 

The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) at the University of Colorado at 

Boulder launched the Blueprints for Violence Prevention project in 1996 to identify programs that 

effectively reduce juvenile violence, aggression, 

delinquency, and substance abuse. The program 

uses research-based criteria to evaluate the 

effectiveness of the programs. To date, CSPV has 

reviewed some 600 programs and identified 11 as 

effective and another 21 as promising. OJJDP has 

partnered with CSPV to promote replication of the 

Blueprints models nationwide, delivering training 

and technical assistance to 42 sites that are replicating 8 of the Blueprints model programs. 

The Office is also helping more than 100 sites 

implement the school-based Life Skills Training 

(LST) program, a Blueprints model designed to 

reduce tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among 

junior and middle school students. Operating in 

more than 400 schools, this program has been 

shown to dramatically reduce use of these “gateway” substances. It is effective with a diverse range 

of adolescents, produces long-lasting results, and 

can be taught by teachers, peer leaders, or health 

professionals. 

OJJDP formula and block grants can be used to 

implement Blueprints programs. During FY 2003, 

OJJDP informally surveyed state juvenile justice 

specialists (who administer OJJDP formula 

grants) about implementation of the Blueprints 

programs in their states. Of the 46 states that provided information, 40 have implemented one 

or more of the Blueprints programs. The most 

widely implemented programs address home-based 

family therapy, mentoring, and bullying. 

In July 2004, OJJDP released the following 

publications about the Blueprints initiative: 

✦ Blueprints for Violence Prevention, an online Report 

that describes the initiative, presents lessons 

learned about program implementation, and 

provides recommendations for program designers, funders, and implementing agencies and 

organizations. 

FY 2003–2004
 15 
Annual Report 

✦ Successful Program Implementation: Lessons From 

Blueprints, a Bulletin that presents results from a 

process evaluation of Blueprints programs, which 

identified critical components of program 

implementation. 

Additional information is also available on the 

Blueprints Web site (www.colorado.edu/cspv/ 

blueprints). 

Boys & Girls Clubs of America


Boys & Girls Clubs offer children a safe haven from 

drugs and violence and help instill in children a sense 

of competence, usefulness, and belonging. During 

FY 2003, the network of Boys & Girls Clubs of 

America (BGCA) served 4 million youth in a variety 

of settings—public housing, schools, churches, shopping malls, homeless shelters, orphanages, American 

Indian reservations, and U.S. military bases around 

the world. Many of these programs were supported 

by approximately $80 million in Bureau of Justice 

Assistance (BJA) funds earmarked by Congress for 

the BGCA. OJJDP managed the program for BJA 

through a transfer of funds. 

BGCA used these FY 2003 funds to charter 252 

new clubs and increase the total number of youth 

served by 10 percent. The program also increased its 

private sector fundraising by 9 percent. In addition, 

BGCA established 244 youth technology centers, 

bringing the total number to 1,110. The program 

also worked to expand the outreach of existing clubs 

in severely distressed communities, small rural 

communities, and Indian Country. In May 2004, 

Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels, 

speaking at the BGCA’s 98th Annual National 

Conference in San Antonio, TX, announced the 

FY 2004 earmark of $80 million, which OJJDP 

will continue to manage. 

America’s History in Writings: A


Resource for Young Americans


In keeping with President Bush’s initiative to 

promote and enhance the teaching, study, and 

understanding of American history and civics, 

OJJDP, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs 

of America, created America’s History in Writings: 

A Resource for Young Americans. This CD-ROM 

contains the text of the founding documents of 

the nation, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the 

Constitution, among others. It also includes helpful, age-appropriate information to explain the 

significance of these founding documents, 

many of which are also provided in Spanish 

translations. To commemorate Fourth of July, 

2004, America’s History in Writings: A Resource 

for Young Americans was sent to more than 4,000 

Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to encourage counselors to plan activities to help club 

members increase their knowledge of America’s 

rich history and learn about the rights and 

responsibilities of citizenship. 

Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention 

The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention is an independent advisory 

committee within the executive branch of the federal government. The Council’s primary function is 

to coordinate federal programs related to delinquency prevention, missing and exploited children, 

and detention and care of unaccompanied juveniles. 

The Attorney General serves as chairperson, and 

the OJJDP Administrator serves as vice chairperson. The Council meets in Washington, DC; the 

meetings are announced in the Federal Register and 

are open to the public. 

16 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

The Council focused its attention on a number of children because they are unable to pay for needed 

issues during the past 2 years, including addressing mental health services for these children. Other 

recommendations in the Final Report of the White presentations discussed the U.S. Department of 

House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth. The Education’s 21st Century Community Learning 

Report proposes a comprehensive federal response Centers and OJJDP’s Gang Reduction Program. 

to the problems of disadvantaged youth, and many 

of the recommendations focus on coordinating and The November 2003 meeting focused on truancy 

better managing programs for these youth. The reduction and included presentations about a proCouncil also began addressing a major report by gram in Duval County, FL, which holds parents 

the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO), accountable for their children’s school attendance; a 

which deals with providing mental health services truancy court diversion program in St. Louis, MO; 

to children in the child welfare and juvenile justice a community juvenile crime prevention effort in 

systems. The Council’s 2003 and 2004 meetings are Mobile County, AL, that has an “early warning” 

described in the following paragraphs, and its truancy reduction component; and OJJDP’s Truaccomplishments are highlighted below. ancy Reduction Demonstration Program (described 

later in this chapter). 

The Council’s July 2003 meeting focused on 

responding to children who have mental health In its March 2004 meeting, the Council again 

problems. Council members learned about the issue focused on truancy reduction. Members heard preof parents voluntarily relinquishing custody of their sentations about the Albuquerque (NM) Public 

Coordinating Council Accomplishments 

✦ To help implement recommendations of the White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth, Council 

members began examining programs in their respective agencies that address 12 of the recommendations 

in the task force’s final report. The Council will continue this effort in FY 2005. 

✦ The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is leading a Council effort to address the critical issue 

of insufficient mental health services for incarcerated youth. This issue was outlined in the GAO Report Federal Agencies Could Play a Stronger Role in Helping Reduce the Number of Children Placed Solely To 

Obtain Mental Health Services. 

✦ Council members are also working to coordinate efforts to address truancy. As a first step, they have identified a number of appropriate programs within their agencies that could include a goal of increasing school 

attendance. 

✦ In keeping with the President’s goal of fostering interagency cooperation, the Council has seen an increase 

in the level of partnerships between Council agencies. Likewise, the number of federal agencies and staff 

participating in Council meetings and activities has increased substantially. 

✦ A redesigned Council Web site, a new Web address (www.juvenilecouncil.gov), and a new seal were


unveiled in September 2004. The new Web site address reflects the independent nature of the Council.


✦ A Council Planning Team was established to help plan Council meetings, implement decisions, and coordinate activities. The new team helps ensure that prior agenda items are addressed in subsequent meetings. 

FY 2003–2004
 17 
Annual Report 

Schools Community Partnership for Addressing and 

Preventing School Absenteeism and Truancy; the 

OJJDP Strategic Planning Tool: Risk Factors 

Matrix; and the final report of the White House 

Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth. 

Mentoring was the focus of the June 2004 meeting. 

Members discussed mentoring programs managed 

by the Mid-Atlantic Network for Youth and Family 

Services, Pittsburgh, PA; the Family and Youth 

Services Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services; the Office of Safe and DrugFree Schools of the U.S. Department of Education; 

and OJJDP. 

The topic for the September 2004 meeting was 

placement of juveniles held in federal custody. Presentations, which were given by representatives of 

the Departments of Justice, the Interior, Homeland 

Security, and Health and Human Services, focused 

on issues related to the federal detention of juvenile 

offenders, nonoffenders, and undocumented 

juveniles. 

Additional information, including meeting 

summaries, is available on the Council’s Web 

site (www.juvenilecouncil.gov). 

Drug-Free Communities 

Support Program 

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program 

(DFCSP) provides funding, training, technical 

assistance, and other support to community coalitions across the nation to strengthen local efforts to 

prevent and reduce young people’s illegal use of 

drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. A second goal of the 

program is to establish and strengthen community 

coalitions. 

To help further the success of coalitions, DFCSP 

began a new Coalition Mentoring Program in FY 

2003, in which established community coalitions act 

as mentors and assist new or developing community 

coalitions in their efforts to combat substance abuse. 

18 

Mentors are DFCSP coalitions that have existed for 

more than 5 years and have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing and treating youth substance 

abuse. 

DFCSP grantees represent a cross-section of projects from every region and include rural, urban, 

suburban, tribal, and economically disadvantaged 

communities. Progress reports from grantees indicate that community coalitions are successfully 

reducing substance abuse among youth and 

strengthening collaboration within their communities. Grantees report that the age of onset for substance use is older, recent use is less frequent, and 

both adults and youth are more likely to disapprove 

of substance use and to be aware of the risks 

involved. 

DFCSP was established by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-20) and was 

reauthorized in 2001. The White House Office of 

National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) oversees 

the program, and OJJDP awarded and managed 

DFCSP grants from the program’s inception 

through FY 2003. During FY 2003, DFCSP competitively awarded grants totaling $17.5 million 

to 184 new programs and $35.1 million in continuation grants to 420 communities in all 50 states, the 

District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 

Islands; 20 existing coalitions received grants totaling $1.5 million through the Coalition Mentoring 

Program. 

After 7 years of successful administration, during 

which time OJJDP awarded and managed more 

than 740 grants, DFCSP grant management 

responsibilities have been transferred to the Center 

for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The transfer took effect October 1, 2004. OJJDP 

and ONDCP managed the FY 2004 DFCSP grant 

solicitation and application process, and CSAP will 

announce the FY 2004 awards to new DFCSP 

grantees. 

FY 2003–2004

Girls Study Group


OJJDP launched a new project in FY 2003 to 

address female delinquency and its consequences. 

As part of the project, the Office awarded a 2-year 

cooperative agreement in FY 2004 to Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle, NC, to convene 

a Girls Study Group, which will identify sound theoretical strategies for combating female delinquency 

and violence. The researchers and practitioners who 

are participating in the study group will review and 

analyze existing literature, review federal programs 

that address female offenders, identify programs 

that are effective or promising (or counterproductive) in preventing and reducing female offending, and develop program models for field testing. 

OJJDP anticipates having preliminary information from the study group in 2005. 

Juvenile Mentoring Programs


Mentoring is an effective way to prevent at-risk 

youth from becoming involved in delinquency and 

to help delinquent youth change their lives for the 

better. OJJDP has long supported mentoring 

programs, and this support continued in FY 2003 

and 2004. Although new legislation modified these 

activities, the Office continued to support the Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP), launched a mentoring Web page and promotional campaign about 

the benefits of mentoring, sponsored a videoconference about mentoring, and began a new initiative 

with the National Network of Youth Ministries 

to recruit more adult mentors from the faith community. These activities are described in the four 

sections that follow. 

JUMP Initiative 

OJJDP began funding JUMP in the mid-1990s, 

when it first awarded grants to support local mentoring programs. In its reauthorization of the JJDP 

Act in November 2002, Congress consolidated 

JUMP with several other program areas under the 

Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant 

Annual Report 

Program, which was to begin in FY 2003. However, 

Congress did not appropriate funds for the new 

block grant program in either FY 2003 or FY 2004. 

Nevertheless, OJJDP continued supporting 

JUMP through a number of activities. The Office 

funded the last group of JUMP grantees in FY 

2003, selecting 30 new grantees from applications 

that had been highly rated, but not funded, in the 

FY 2002 solicitation process. Since its inception, 

JUMP projects have provided more than 16,000 

youth with mentors. These projects support mentoring activities in schools and in community- and 

faith-based organizations. 

To help strengthen the quality of JUMP, OJJDP 

created the National Mentoring Center at the 

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, OR. The center provides training and technical assistance to JUMP grantees and other 

mentoring programs, produces publications and 

newsletters, and offers an online lending library of 

mentoring resources. During FY 2003 and 2004, 

the center’s activities included conducting orientation meetings for new JUMP grantees, hosting 

grantee teleconferences, expanding its Web site 

(www.nwrel.org/mentoring), and creating a series 

of online learning papers. The center also produced 

a number of new publications and assisted OJJDP 

with the new faith-based mentor recruitment initiative discussed on the next page. More information 

about these activities is available on the center’s 

Web site. 

OJJDP is funding an evaluation of JUMP, conducted by Information Technology International, 

Potomac, MD. Evaluators are using standardized 

instruments and youth and mentor satisfaction 

forms to gather information from program participants. The evaluation is scheduled to run through 

2004. Final findings are expected in 2005. 

More information about JUMP, including a list of 

grantees, is available on the JUMP page of 

OJJDP’s Web site. 

FY 2003–2004
 19 
Annual Report 

Promotional Campaign and Web Page


As part of its effort to 

support mentoring 

nationwide, OJJDP 

developed a promotional 

campaign and launched a 

new Web page in October 2003 to encourage 

adults to become mentors 

by learning about the 

benefits and availability 

of mentoring opportunities. The “Coach a Kid in 

the Game of Life” mentoring page (ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ 

mentoring/coach) provides information about mentoring and links to mentoring organizations and 

publications. It also links to the MENTOR National Mentoring Partnership, which helps adults 

locate mentoring opportunities in their communities 

by simply entering their ZIP code. The Web page 

was advertised in the official programs of the Major 

League Baseball 2003 League Championships, 2003 

World Series, and 2004 All Star games. A mentoring promotion from OJJDP also appeared in Vista, 

the nation’s oldest dual-language magazine serving 

the Hispanic community. 

Mentoring Videoconference 

OJJDP sponsored a 2-hour live satellite videoconference, “Mentoring Matters,” in February 2003. 

Attended by participants at 350 downlinks and 

2,000 Internet sites nationwide, the conference featured profiles of successful mentoring programs in 

four settings: community, school, faith-based, and 

workplace. The conference can be viewed on the 

Juvenile Justice Telecommunications Assistance 

Project Web site (www.trc.eku.edu/jj/archive.html). 

Faith -Based Mentor Recruitment 

In March 2004, OJJDP began a new initiative 

with the National Network of Youth Ministries 

(NNYM), San Diego, CA. OJJDP is providing 

funding to support the efforts of NNYM to recruit 

20 

caring adults to serve as mentors. With its 24-year 

history of collaborating with various faith-based 

agencies, NNYM offers a unique opportunity to 

reach large numbers of potential mentors and refer 

them to local mentoring programs. NNYM and 

OJJDP launched the national recruitment with a 

new Web site: www.mentoryouth.com. The site’s 

resources are available to any interested individual, 

group, or organization seeking to recruit adults to 

mentor a child or teen. 

Promising Programs for Substance Abuse Prevention 

OJJDP began funding a new program in FY 2003 

and 2004 to test the effectiveness of two schoolbased substance abuse program models: Project 

ALERT, which targets middle school students; and 

Project SUCCESS, which targets students in alternative high school settings. Promising Programs 

for Substance Abuse Prevention: Replication and 

Evaluation is implementing Project ALERT in 

28 schools and Project SUCCESS in 14 schools 

to determine whether positive outcomes can be 

achieved and sustained over time. OJJDP awarded 

a grant to the Pacific Institute for Research and 

Evaluation, Calverton, MD, to oversee the project. 

Findings will enhance knowledge about effective 

prevention strategies and provide communities with 

solid information for deciding how to spend the limited resources available for prevention activities. 

Safe Schools/Healthy Students 

Initiative 

OJJDP, in collaboration with the U.S. Departments 

of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services 

(HHS), continued to support the Safe Schools/ 

Healthy Students (SS/HS) initiative during FY 

2003 and 2004. This project helps urban, rural, suburban, and tribal school districts link prevention 

activities with community-based services. During 

FY 2003, these agencies awarded grants totaling 

FY 2003–2004

more than $40 million to 23 communities. The project awarded 24 new grants in FY 2004, bringing to 

133 the number of SS/HS projects funded over the 

past 4 years. Grantees are listed on the ED Web 

site (www.ed.gov/programs/dvpsafeschools/ 

awards.html). 

The SS/HS initiative encourages school districts to 

develop comprehensive plans to prevent violence 

and encourage positive child development. To 

receive funding, districts must work with law 

enforcement officials, local mental health authorities, juvenile justice officials, and community-based 

organizations in developing the plans. 

The initiative also includes a training and technical 

assistance component and a national evaluation. 

The National Center for Mental Health Promotion 

and Youth Violence Prevention, a grantee of the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration of HHS, provides training and technical assistance to SS/HS grantees. The evaluation 

is being conducted by Research Triangle Institute, 

Research Triangle Park, NC, and RMC Research 

Corporation, Portland, OR. Evaluation data were 

collected in four waves, during spring 2001–2004, 

and a report is expected in 2005. 

Title V Community Prevention 

Grants Program 

The Title V Community Prevention Grants Program (Title V) helps communities develop and 

implement collaborative, community-based delinquency prevention plans. OJJDP awards Title V 

grants to states based on the relative size of the population subject to original juvenile court jurisdiction. 

The states, in turn, award the funds to communities 

to implement delinquency prevention plans that 

meet local needs. OJJDP also provides training 

and technical assistance to grantees and is funding 

an evaluation of the Title V Program. 

In FY 2003, Congress appropriated $46.5 million 

for the Title V Program but earmarked (mandated) 

Annual Report 

most of the appropriation to support programs other 

than Title V. After the earmarks were addressed, 

$2.5 million remained. Having determined that this 

amount was too small to be distributed on a formula 

basis, OJJDP suspended making Title V awards 

until FY 2004. In FY 2004, Congress appropriated 

$80 million for the Title V Program. After the earmarks were addressed, $14.9 million was available 

for distribution to states. 

In FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP, through Development Services Group, Inc. (DSG), Bethesda, MD, 

continued to provide intensive training and technical assistance to help states and communities plan 

and implement effective research-based delinquency 

prevention strategies. A major achievement in FY 

2003 was the release of a user-friendly online Model 

Programs Guide and Database (MPG&D) to help 

Title V communities and other communities locate 

scientifically tested and proven programs and strategies that meet their needs. The MPG&D has been 

favorably received when it is demonstrated at 

national and regional conferences. The Office plans 

to add performance measurement tools to the database to help community programs evaluate their 

own effectiveness. More information about the 

database is available on the Title V page of 

OJJDP’s Web site and on the DSG Web site 

(www.dsgonline.com/projects_titlev.html). 

A core component of the Title V Program is a threepart training curriculum, available to communities 

interested in applying for Title V funds. The curriculum combines risk-focused prevention with 

community asset building and evidence-based planning. The curriculum components are as follows: 

✦ Community Team Orientation. The first training 

segment brings together key local leaders and all 

members of the prevention policy board to provide an overview of the Title V model. (Each 

community receiving Title V funds is required to 

appoint a prevention policy board made up of 

representatives from law enforcement and various service agencies, private industry, religious 

institutions, and civic organizations.) 

FY 2003–2004
 21 
Annual Report 

✦ Community Data Collection. The second training 

segment helps participants review, analyze, prioritize, and present data on risk and protective factors. They also learn how to assess and identify 

gaps in community resources and craft a community profile and assessment report. 

✦ Community Plan and Program Development. 

The third training segment centers on the development of a 3-year comprehensive, data-driven 

delinquency prevention plan and focuses on identifying and selecting an appropriate strategy 

drawn from the MPG&D. 

Communities Participating 


in Title V Training


Training Segment FY 2003 FY 2004 

Community Team 

Orientation 63 32 

Community Data 

Collection 54 32 

Community Plan and 

Program Development 40 22 

In addition, DSG provides presentations and training workshops for state juvenile justice specialists, 

Title V coordinators, State Advisory Group members, practitioners, and researchers. These presentations drew 439 participants in FY 2003 and 216 

participants in FY 2004. 

Caliber Associates, Fairfax, VA, completed a final 

draft of the Title V National Evaluation Report during FY 2003. The Report, which OJJDP anticipates 

releasing online at the end of 2004, discusses the 

experiences of 11 communities that received Title V 

funding. OJJDP will use the lessons learned from 

this evaluation to inform future implementation and 

evaluation of the Title V Program. 

OJJDP released Title V Reports to Congress for 

2001 and 2002 during the past 2 years. The 2003 

Report is under development. 

Truancy Reduction Efforts


Truancy has long been identified as an early warning sign of potential delinquent behavior. During 

the past 2 years, OJJDP sponsored several activities to address this problem. 

OJJDP, the OJP Weed and Seed Initiative, and the 

U.S. Department of Education began working on

the Truancy Reduction Demonstration Program in 

1998. The program is helping communities develop 

comprehensive approaches to identifying and tracking truant youth and reducing truancy. Its seven 

demonstration sites are diverse in size (serving anywhere from 30 to 1,600 youth), geographic location, 

ethnic and sociodemographic makeup, and community leadership. 

The National Center for School Engagement 

(NCSE) at the Colorado Foundation for Families 

and Children, Denver, CO, is conducting a national 

evaluation of the Truancy Reduction Demonstration 

Program. The study focused on process evaluation 

for the first 4 years and has now shifted to outcome 

evaluation to determine program results at the seven demonstration sites, with a quasi-experimental 

design in three of the seven sites. NCSE has created 

an online data collection system to track truant students’ demographics, needs, service referrals, juvenile justice involvement, and disciplinary incidents. 

Student outcomes are being measured in terms of 

school attendance, involvement, and achievement. 

Information about the evaluation is available online 

at www.truancyprevention.org. 

In FY 2003, OJJDP added a new component to 

its truancy efforts when it awarded a grant to the 

National Truancy Prevention Association, Providence, RI, to provide training and technical assistance to communities implementing programs to 

address truancy. In addition, OJJDP sponsored a 

live satellite videoconference, “Community Responses to Truancy: Engaging Students in School,” 

on April 30, 2003. Participants discussed the causes 

22 FY 2003–2004

National Conference on Truancy 

OJJDP and the U.S. Department of Education 

are hosting a national conference on truancy 

on December 6–8, 2004, in Washington, DC. 

“Partnering To Prevent Truancy: A National 

Priority” will highlight effective and promising 

collaborative programs that are addressing the 

problem of truancy and its related issues. Information about the conference is available on the 

OJJDP Web site. 

of truancy and its effects on youth, their families, 

schools, and communities. The conference can be 

viewed on the Juvenile Justice Telecommunications 

Assistance Project Web site (www.trc.eku.edu/ 

jj/archive.html). Reducing truancy also was the 

focus of the November 2003 and March 2004 

meetings of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 

New Publications


During FY 2003, OJJDP released four Bulletins 

(described below) in its new Child Delinquency 

Series. The series presents valuable information on 

the nature of child delinquency (i.e., delinquency 

involving children younger than 13) and describes 

early intervention and prevention programs that 

effectively reduce delinquent behavior. 

✦ Child Delinquency: Early Intervention and Prevention 

summarizes the final report of OJJDP’s Study 

Group on Very Young Offenders, which draws 

on hundreds of studies to describe the developmental course of child delinquency and to delineate key risk and protective factors. 

✦ Prevalence and Development of Child Delinquency provides information on young children who become 

involved with the juvenile justice system. 

Annual Report 

✦ Risk and Protective Factors of Child Delinquency 

focuses on the types of risk and protective 

factors—individual, family, peer, and school and 

community—that are essential to effective early 

childhood delinquency intervention. 

✦ Treatment, Services, and Intervention Programs for 

Child Delinquents examines programs designed to 

mitigate the disruptive behavior of child 

delinquents. 

In June 2004, OJJDP released the Bulletin Detection and Prevalence of Substance Use Among Juvenile 

Detainees, which assesses substance use detection 

methods (self-report and urinalysis) and prevalence 

among high-risk youth detained in Cook County, 

IL. Based on data from a Northwestern Juvenile 

Project study, the Bulletin covers a wide range of 

substances but focuses on cannabis and cocaine, the 

drugs most commonly used by juvenile detainees. 

An online guide, Screening and Assessing Mental Health 

Disorders Among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: 

A Resource Guide for Practitioners, is to be posted in 

late 2004. 

On the Horizon 

Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program 

Beginning in FY 2005, OJJDP will assume leadership of the juvenile and family components of 

OJP’s Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program. 

These two components were formerly administered 

by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Drug 

Court Discretionary Grant Program provides financial and technical assistance to states, state courts, 

local courts, units of local government, and Indian 

tribal governments to develop and implement treatment drug courts that effectively integrate substance abuse treatment, mandatory drug testing, 

sanctions and incentives, and transitional services in 

a judicially supervised court setting with jurisdiction 

over nonviolent, substance-abusing offenders. 

FY 2003–2004
 23 
Annual Report 

Chapter 4: Enhancing Detention , Public Safety,


and Law Enforcement


Although it is important to support programs that 

prevent and intervene in juvenile delinquency, it is 

equally important to focus on programs that protect 

the public by strengthening law enforcement and 

holding juvenile offenders accountable for their 

delinquent and violent actions. 

OJJDP supported several programs in FY 2003 

and 2004 that focus on reducing recidivism by 

working with young offenders while they are incarcerated in institutions and after they are released 

from confinement. One new initiative focuses on 

detained girls and women, a population often overlooked by the juvenile justice system. 

OJJDP also continued to support a national program that promotes enforcement of underage drinking laws. Two new components of the program 

focus on rural communities and on implementing 

programs identified as best or promising practices 

for combating illegal use of alcohol by minors. 

The activities highlighted in this chapter illustrate 

OJJDP’s efforts to enhance juvenile detention programs, keep the public safe, and help strengthen 

law enforcement efforts. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of 

America—Targeted Reentry 

Initiative 

During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP provided funds 

through the Targeted Reentry Initiative to four sites 

to develop Boys & Girls Clubs in juvenile correctional institutions. Designed and managed by Boys 

& Girls Clubs of America, the initiative is based on 

the OJJDP-funded Intensive Aftercare Program 

model, which seeks to reduce recidivism among 

high-risk juvenile parolees by providing a continuum of supervision and services in the institution 

and after release. This unique Targeted Reentry Initiative represents a strong partnership between the 

public sector (youth correctional agencies) and the 

private sector (local Boys & Girls Clubs) across all 

phases of the reintegration continuum. 

Four juvenile facilities participating in OJP’s 

Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative 

(described later in this chapter) were chosen as 

pilot sites for the Targeted Reentry Initiative: Mt. 

Meigs Youth Center, Montgomery, AL; McLaughlin Youth Center, Anchorage, AK; Alexander Youth 

Service, Little Rock, AR; and Ethan Allen School, 

Milwaukee, WI. Each site developed a club within 

the institution. Participating youth receive intensive 

case management services and are tracked when 

they return to their communities, where they are 

linked with a local Boys & Girls Club. Indiana University is evaluating the Targeted Reentry Initiative. 

Enforcing the Underage
 Drinking Laws Program


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

program was created in 1998. Through grants, 

training, and technical assistance, the EUDL Program helps states, territories, and the District of 

Columbia prevent underage drinking by emphasizing law enforcement. The Office is also funding a 

national evaluation of the program. 

OJJDP awarded block grants of $357,660 in FY 

2003 and $356,211 in FY 2004 to every state and 

the District of Columbia to fund the establishment 

of statewide task forces, public education campaigns, 

and innovative programs to prevent underage drinking. A lead agency in each state administers the 

EUDL funds, which are used to strengthen law 

enforcement activities, such as compliance checks of 

FY 2003–2004
 25 
Annual Report 

retail alcohol outlets; to enforce laws and policies 

that can reduce underage drinking; to change community norms and discourage acceptance of underage drinking; and to develop partnerships and 

cooperation among agencies to ensure a comprehensive approach to combating underage drinking. 

In addition to the block grants, OJJDP awards 

discretionary grants to competitively selected states 

to fund efforts at the local level. Through FY 2002, 

26 states had received these discretionary grants. 

To strengthen the evaluation component of the 

EUDL Program, OJJDP redesigned the discretionary grant component in FY 2003. Five states— 

California, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, and New 

York—were competitively selected to participate in 

the new EUDL Community Trials Initiative. Each 

state received $960,000 to implement best or most 

promising practices in seven communities. The 

participating communities must meet three 

requirements: 

✦ Conduct compliance checks of 90 percent of 

retail outlets that sell alcoholic beverages. 

✦ Emphasize enforcement of driving-under-theinfluence laws with young drivers. 

✦ Implement a law enforcement activity and introduce or enhance a policy selected from a list of 

best and most promising practices to reduce 

underage drinking. 

So outcomes can be measured, each trial community 

has been paired with a control community. Systematic community trials such as this were first used to 

assess population-level heart disease prevention 

efforts but more recently have been applied to the 

evaluation of efforts to prevent underage drinking, 

alcohol-related injury, youth access to tobacco products, and youth violence and victimization. The 

EUDL Community Trials Initiative uses rigorous 

research methods to assess the effectiveness of 

evidence-based practices implemented within the 

context of the EUDL Program. The goal of the 

evaluation is to determine whether implementation 

of best and most promising practices at the local 

26 

level will provide evidence of effectiveness that can 

serve as a model for states and communities that are 

working to reduce underage drinking. 

Recognizing that alcohol is the primary drug of 

abuse in many rural areas, OJJDP developed a 

new EUDL discretionary grant program in FY 

2004 to address this issue. The Rural Communities 

Initiative will help four states implement researchbased practices to enforce underage drinking laws 

and prevent and reduce underage drinking in rural 

communities. In August 2004, OJJDP announced 

awards to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and 

Delinquency, Nevada Department of Human 

Resources, and New Mexico Department for 

Children, Youth and Families. As part of this initiative, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and 

Alcoholism (part of the National Institutes of 

Health) will evaluate the process and outcomes of 

programs implemented by grantees. 

OJJDP also continued to provide training and 

technical assistance during FY 2003 and 2004 

through the Underage Drinking Enforcement 

Training Center (UDETC), managed by the Pacific 

Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), 

Calverton, MD. UDETC provides training or technical assistance to approximately 10,000 individuals 

annually. The center also provides monthly audioteleconferences and disseminates written and electronic information. Its Web site (www.udetc.org) 

recorded 877,581 visits during 2003 and is projected 

to receive more than 1 million visits during FY 

2004. UDETC has produced 26 publications (available on the center’s Web site) to assist states and 

communities in their efforts to enforce underage 

drinking laws and prevent conditions that 

contribute to underage drinking. 

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of 

Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, continued conducting a national evaluation of the EUDL Program 

during FY 2003 and 2004. Evaluators are examining how states and communities use EUDL funds 

and evaluating the EUDL Program’s impact in a 

sample of communities. Final results are expected in 

FY 2003–2004

2005. In addition, Wake Forest and PIRE will 

evaluate the best or most promising practices implemented through the EUDL Community Trials 

Initiative. 

Performance-based Standards Program 

Wins Prestigious Award 

OJJDP’s Performance-based Standards (PbS) for 

Youth Correction and Detention Facilities was 

one of five recipients of the 2004 Innovations in 

American Government Award from the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation 

at Harvard University. The Council for Excellence 

in Government administers the awards program. 

Regarded as the premier public sector award in 

the nation, the Innovation Award is given annually to programs at the federal, state, and local 

levels that serve as examples of creative and 

effective government at its best. The 2004 winners were chosen from nearly 1,000 applicants. 

Each award carries a $100,000 grant to support 

replication and dissemination activities. 

OJJDP launched the PbS program in 1995 to 

improve conditions of confinement at juvenile 

facilities. Developed and directed by the Council 

of Juvenile Correctional Administrators, South 

Easton, MA, PbS sets national standards for safety, 

education, health/mental health services, security, 

justice, and order within facilities and gives agencies tools to collect data, analyze the results to 

design improvements, implement change, and 

then measure effectiveness with subsequent data 

collection. 

The PbS system is used in 26 states and the District of Columbia to improve the quality of life for 

youth in custody. More information is available 

on the PbS Web site (www.pbstandards.org). 

Annual Report 

Juvenile Faith -Based


Corrections Initiative


In keeping with its commitment to reach out to 

faith-based and community-based groups, OJJDP 

awarded funds in FY 2003 to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to develop and implement 

a program that incorporates faith-based services 

into five correctional facilities. The services begin at 

the time a juvenile is placed in a residential facility 

and continue through release from postresidential 

supervision. 

During FY 2004, OJJDP developed the Juvenile Faith-Based Corrections Initiative, which will 

provide residential and aftercare services to approximately 200 youth each year for 3 years. The residential phase of the initiative will include a secular 

program that uses a combination of evidence-based 

treatments. On admission to a residential facility, a 

youth will be assigned a volunteer mentor from a 

faith-based organization. The mentor will work with 

the youth and the youth’s family throughout the residential placement and will be involved in transition 

planning prior to release. The mentoring relationship will continue during aftercare, with the goal of 

rebuilding family relationships. The program will 

seek to reduce recidivism by addressing specific risk 

factors that can lead to delinquent or criminal 

behavior and by promoting resilience factors that 

can help youth avoid such behavior. 

Girl Scout Programs in 

Corrections 

To address an increase in the number of incarcerated women and girls, OJJDP awarded a grant to 

the Girl Scouts of the USA in FY 2003 to support 

Girl Scouting in Detention Centers (GSDC) and 

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB). GSDC focuses 

on girls in juvenile detention facilities, and GSBB 

focuses on incarcerated women and their daughters. 

The two programs, which are active in 48 communities located in nearly 40 states and Puerto Rico, provide participants with mentors and opportunities to 

FY 2003–2004
 27 
Annual Report 

become involved in community service and develop 

self-esteem and life skills. GSBB strengthens 

mother-daughter bonds through regular, activitybased visits; many GSBB programs also offer 

parenting, financial, and career workshops. 

These programs have received considerable attention from national and local media. One GSBB 

mother-daughter Girl Scout troop in Texas is the 

focus of a documentary film, which will be broadcast nationwide on public television in 2005. 

A third program, P.A.V.E. (Project Anti-Violence 

Education) the Way, became a part of the DOJGirl Scout partnership effort in FY 2004. This 

program helps youth learn to recognize potential 

violence at home and in their neighborhoods and 

schools and provides community support systems 

to address these problems. 

Additional information about Girl Scout programs 

is available at www.girlscouts.org. 

Juvenile Sanctions Center


The Juvenile Sanctions Center, operated by the 

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court 

Judges (NCJFCJ), Reno, NV, was established 

with funding from OJJDP in fall 2001. The initiative is helping 13 sites respond more effectively 

to delinquency by creating or strengthening a 

continuum of accountability-based sanctioning 

programs and increasing diversion opportunities 

and alternatives to secure detention for minor- and 

intermediate-level juvenile offenders. OJJDP initially funded 10 sites in FY 2002: San Jose, CA; 

Hartford, CT; La Grange, GA; St. Joseph, MO; 

Missoula, MT; Omaha, NE; Las Vegas, NV; Dayton, OH; Nashville, TN; and Newport News, VA. 

In FY 2003, the project was expanded to include 

sanctioning programs for youth in secure confinement and aftercare/reentry programs. OJJDP also 

awarded grants to three more sites in FY 2003: Ft. 

Myers, FL; Indianapolis, IN; and Toledo, OH. 

More information about the Juvenile Sanctions 

Center is available on the NCJFCJ Web site 

(http://training.ncjfcj.org/juvenile_sanctions_center. 

htm). 

28 

Serious and Violent Offender 

Reentry Initiative 

OJJDP continues to participate 

in OJP’s Serious and Violent 

Offender Reentry Initiative 

(Reentry Initiative), which was 

launched in 2002. The initiative is 

a comprehensive effort that 

addresses juvenile and adult populations of serious, high-risk 

offenders. It provides funding to 

develop, implement, enhance, and evaluate reentry 

strategies that will ensure community safety and 

reduce serious, violent crime. The program prepares 

targeted offenders to successfully return to their 

communities after having served a significant period 

of secure confinement in a state training school, 

juvenile or adult correctional facility, or other 

secure institution. 

OJJDP oversees the juvenile sites participating in 

the Reentry Initiative. During FY 2003 and 2004, 

OJJDP provided regional trainings to these sites 

on a number of topics, including case management, 

assessment and classification, the link between institutional and community corrections services, prerelease and postrelease planning, graduated responses 

(sanctions and incentives), and populations with 

special needs (including minority, female, and sex 

offenders, and offenders with mental health issues). 

Reentry Initiative grantees and others attended a 

September 2004 national conference on offender 

reentry, held in Cleveland, OH. The conference 

included a segment focusing on juvenile justice 

issues. 

OJJDP’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center, discussed in chapter 6, continued to 

provide assistance to Reentry Initiative grantees 

during FY 2003 and 2004. More information about 

the Reentry Initiative is available on OJP’s Reentry 

Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/reentry). 

FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Chapter 5: 


Addressing Youth Gangs 


As mentioned earlier in this Report, the JJDP Act 

of 2002 consolidated several previously independent 

juvenile justice programs into a single prevention 

block grant program. Gang programs were among 

those consolidated. Although the new block grant 

program was to begin in FY 2003, Congress did not 

appropriate funds for it in FY 2003 or FY 2004. 

Nevertheless, recognizing that youth gangs are a 

serious national issue, OJJDP continued efforts to 

reduce youth gang crime and violence by supporting demonstration programs that use an integrated 

plan and proven methods to address gang prevention, intervention, and suppression. Through its 

support of the National Youth Gang Center and 

other initiatives, the Office also continued to support gang-related research and evaluation activities, 

training and technical assistance, and information 

dissemination. As the activities discussed in this 

chapter indicate, gang reduction remains one of 

OJJDP’s priorities. 

Gang Reduction Program


Youth gangs threaten public safety and damage 

young lives not only in large urban areas but also 

in many smaller cities and rural areas. These gangs 

can be both the most visible cause and the most 

visible result of extreme social and economic distress in disadvantaged neighborhoods. In FY 2003, 

OJJDP began a new program to help significantly 

reduce youth gang activity in four such neighborhoods. The Gang Reduction Program (GRP) is 

helping these communities combine local, state, and 

federal resources to develop and implement plans 

that incorporate a broad spectrum of proven, 

research-based interventions designed to address 

the full range of personal, family, and community 

factors that contribute to high levels of juvenile 

delinquency and gang activity. The GRP design 

includes a framework for coordinating four basic 

types of activities: primary and secondary prevention, intervention, and suppression (see sidebar on 

next page). The design’s required elements have 

demonstrated effectiveness in reducing gang activity 

and delinquency. 

The four pilot communities—Los Angeles, CA; 

Milwaukee, WI; North Miami Beach, FL; and 

Richmond, VA—are targeting neighborhoods of 

limited geographic area (2 to 5 square miles). Each 

community received $2.5 million to support gang 

reduction efforts for a 3-year period. The communities are identifying and coordinating existing resources, programs, and services that address known 

local risk factors for delinquency and will use grant 

funds to fill gaps in existing programs and services. 

Their goal is to address the full range of risk factors 

among youth of all ages. 

This unique interagency effort is notable for the 

following: 

✦ First, this is a demonstration program in which 

the purpose is not only to help four communities, 

but to develop and test comprehensive responses 

to gangs that can be applied by communities 

across the nation. 

✦ Second, communities will leverage existing resources, programs, and services that address 

known local risk factors for delinquency and only 

use grant funds to fill gaps in existing programs 

and services. 

✦ Third, significant financial contributions to this 

effort have already been made by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

and the COPS office. OJJDP is also working to 

leverage resources that flow from other federal 

agencies. 

FY 2003–2004
 29 
Annual Report 

Gang Reduction Program Strategy 

Primary prevention includes a wide variety of activities that focus on the entire population in high-crime, 

high-risk communities. Programs that effectively reduce community risk factors or provide protective factors 

for community members are considered primary prevention. The key component of GRP’s primary prevention 

strategy is providing a one-stop service and resource center that makes health and support services easily 

accessible and readily available to the community. 

Secondary prevention involves identifying high-risk youth (ages 7 to 14) and providing focused services to help 

them avoid a pattern of increasing antisocial behavior. The goal is to reduce the likelihood that these youth will 

become involved in serious delinquency and gang activity. GRP sites will incorporate identification and screening tools to focus prevention services where they are most needed and will work closely with schools and 

community- and faith-based organizations to provide age-appropriate support, services, and monitoring. 

Intervention activities target active gang members, gang members returning to the community from confinement, and youth closely associated with active gang members. Although some of these youth are not involved 

with the justice system, many are on probation or parole, and most will be resistant to traditional services. 

GRP sites will use aggressive outreach and recruitment efforts to ensure that these individuals and their families receive needed services, such as education and job counseling and help meeting conditions of probation 

(e.g., community service or drug treatment). Family involvement, close monitoring, and accountability are 

important components of the intervention strategy. 

Gang suppression focuses on identifying and targeting gang leaders. This strategy uses enhanced sentences, 

federal charges, and vertical prosecution, as appropriate, to remove the most dangerous and influential gang 

members from the community. Gang suppression activities incorporate federal, state, and local law enforcement and use federal gun and drug laws and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, 

as necessary. For less serious offenders, GRP sites will develop a system of graduated sanctions (including 

community-based components) to match offenses with appropriate sanctions and hold offenders accountable. 

✦ Finally, all of the programs are working in part- OJJDP also has enlisted the support of Boys & 

nership with their U.S. Attorneys, and two of the Girls Clubs of America and Communities in Schools, 

programs overlap with existing Weed and Seed Inc., Alexandria, VA, for this program. The OJJDPprogram sites. Thus, these efforts are being coor- funded National Youth Gang Center (described later 

dinated with existing Project Safe Neighbor- in this chapter) is providing training and technical 

hoods efforts and Offender Reentry programs. assistance to GRP grantees. The Office is funding 

an evaluation of GRP by the Urban Institute, Each pilot site will also determine community needs Washington, DC. that cannot be met through local, state, or GRP 

resources. The sites will coordinate with OJJDP 

as the lead federal contact to identify appropriate 

federal resources to address those needs. 

30 FY 2003–2004

National Youth Gang Center


OJJDP established the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) at the Institute for Intergovernmental 

Research, Tallahassee, FL, in 1994. The center’s 

purpose is to maintain and expand the body of 

knowledge about youth gangs and effective responses 

to them. Its functions include conducting surveys; 

providing reliable information to researchers, law 

enforcement personnel, practitioners, and others; 

maintaining a Web site; and providing training and 

technical assistance to OJJDP grantees. 

During FY 2003 and 2004, NYGC continued to 

provide training and technical assistance to demonstration sites participating in an OJJDP program 

that helps schools and communities address their 

youth gang problems. The center also began 

supporting GRP sites. 

NYGC continued conducting its annual survey of 

law enforcement agencies to determine the extent of 

the national youth gang problem. OJJDP released 

Fact Sheets summarizing the 2001 and 2002 National Youth Gang Surveys and a Bulletin presenting results from a special NYGC survey of youth 

gang activity in Indian communities (see “New 

Publications,” below). 

NYGC’s Web site (www.iir.com/nygc) provides 

information about gang-related programs, research, 

and legislation, including full-text publications, bibliographies of research publications, lists of legislation organized by state and subject, and frequently 

asked questions about gangs. 

New Publications


OJJDP developed and published three gangrelated publications during FY 2003 and 2004. 

✦ Highlights of the 2001 National Youth Gang Survey 

and Highlights of the 2002 National Youth Gang 

Survey, Fact Sheets released in April 2003 and 

April 2004, respectively, present major findings 

from these two NYGC surveys, highlighting data 

Annual Report 

from larger cities, suburban counties, smaller 

cities, and rural counties. 

✦ Youth Gangs in Indian Country, a Bulletin released 

in March 2004, describes the nature and makeup 

of youth gangs in Indian country. Drawing on 

research findings from an NYGC survey, the 

Bulletin presents data on the presence and consequences of youth gang activity in Indian country and provides an overview of programmatic 

responses to the problem. 

On the Horizon 

Strategic Planning Tool 

As part of GRP, OJJDP and NYGC are developing a Strategic Planning Tool, which uses advanced 

technology to help identify service gaps and provide 

solutions to gang problems in a cost-effective, crossagency fashion. The technology and method this 

tool uses will be applicable to a variety of other 

issues, such as truancy. The tool will enhance the 

ability of communities and federal agencies to 

implement programs and apply knowledge of 

proven programs. It will enable local practitioners 

to access information about effective programs and 

develop a comprehensive response to specific delinquency and gang problems. The Strategic Planning 

Tool is in the early stages of development. OJJDP 

anticipates making it available in FY 2005. 

National Youth Gang Symposium 

OJJDP and NYGC are planning to hold the fourth 

National Youth Gang Symposium in 2005. Previous 

conferences have been well attended. Unlike 

gang-related conferences that focus solely on law 

enforcement, OJJDP’s conferences are open to all 

professionals whose work brings them into contact 

with youth gangs. Information about the symposium will be available on the NYGC Web site 

(www.iir.com/nygc). 

FY 2003–2004
 31 
Annual Report 

Chapter 6: 


Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System 


OJJDP works closely with states and local jurisdictions to help them strengthen their juvenile justice systems. Several of the OJJDP programs 

designed to do this provide formula and block 

grants to states. The 2002 reauthorization of the 

JJDP Act revised many of these programs, and 

OJJDP devoted much of FY 2003 and 2004 to 

implementing the revisions and providing related 

information and training to the states. The Office 

focused especially on helping states address new 

mandates concerning disproportionate minority 

contact with the juvenile justice system and juvenile 

accountability programming. In addition, OJJDP 

continued to help communities address juvenile 

crime through responses that directly target the 

most pressing juvenile justice and delinquency 

prevention needs. 

The activities described in this chapter reflect 

OJJDP’s ongoing commitment to working closely 

with states and communities to develop and implement programs that can truly make a difference. 

Addressing Disproportionate 

Minority Contact 

OJJDP has been a leader in the nation’s efforts to 

reduce the overrepresentation of minority youth in 

the juvenile justice system for more than a decade. 

In 1988, Congress required states participating in 

OJJDP’s Formula Grants program to make efforts 

to reduce the disproportionate confinement of 

minority youth in secure facilities. In 1992, Congress elevated this issue to a core requirement, 

which means that failing to demonstrate such efforts 

puts a state at risk of losing a percentage of its 

annual formula grant allocation. 

The 2002 reauthorization of the JJDP Act broadened the requirement of disproportionate minority 

confinement to encompass disproportionate numbers of minority youth who come into contact with 

the juvenile justice system at any point—from arrest 

to reentry. During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP 

made addressing disproportionate minority contact 

(DMC) a priority and worked to help states meet 

the expanded DMC requirement. (The states’ 

efforts to comply with the requirement are summarized in the Formula Grants program section of this 

chapter.) 

Over the past several years, OJJDP has steadily 

increased the number and scope of its resources— 

including training, technical assistance, and 

publications—to help states address DMC. During 

the same period, states have taken significant steps 

to identify where DMC occurs, implement plans to 

reduce it, enhance data collection, and introduce 

state legislation to address the problem. The six 

sections that follow highlight the Office’s major 

DMC-related activities during FY 2003 and 2004. 

A New Measure of DMC 

A major accomplishment during FY 2003 was the 

selection of a new measure to help states and localities determine the extent of minority representation 

in their juvenile justice systems. The original measure, the Disproportionate Representation Index 

(DRI), was introduced in the early 1990s. As its 

limitations became increasingly troubling (analysis 

showed that certain problems inherent in its calculation made the DRI unreliable in cross-jurisdictional 

and other comparisons), OJJDP worked with 

seven experienced research consultants to choose an 

alternative. The new measure—the DMC Relative 

Rate Index (RRI)—involves computing the rate at 

which a particular event (e.g., arrest) occurs for 

FY 2003–2004
 33 
Annual Report 

youth in each racial/ethnic group and then calculating a ratio of these rates. The ratio serves as a measure of the relative rate at which the event occurs for 

each group. The RRI avoids the problems associated with the DRI and provides better information 

about DMC for the field. 

Facilitating Change 

OJJDP took a number of steps to help states 

understand and implement the new DMC core 

requirement and the RRI. The Office conducted 

extensive training for state personnel, clarified definitions of “minority” and “contact,” distributed 

training videos to all states, and posted training 

PowerPoints and RRI spreadsheets on the DMC 

page of the OJJDP Web site.1 During FY 2004, 

OJJDP conducted regional training and provided 

consultations to individual states on how to interpret RRIs and create data-driven plans for examining and developing intervention strategies. 

New Publication 

During FY 2004, OJJDP released Disproportionate 

Minority Confinement: 2002 Update, a new publication 

that summarizes recent DMC-related developments. 

This OJJDP Summary includes a review of the 

most recent data; an outline of efforts by OJJDP, 

states, and local jurisdictions during the past 5 years 

to address DMC; and a discussion of remaining 

challenges. The Summary also includes a case study 

of Washington State’s 10-year comprehensive 

efforts to reduce DMC and OJJDP’s action steps 

to further state and local efforts under the expanded 

DMC core requirement. 

1 OJJDP was pleased to note that many states submitted RRI 

spreadsheets with their FY 2004 formula grant applications. 

The spreadsheets showed RRI information for multiple juvenile justice system contact points statewide and for selected 

counties with the largest minority populations or with focused 

DMC reduction efforts. Missouri, for example, submitted an 

FY 2004 DMC compliance plan that clearly outlined the state’s 

past accomplishments and detailed its plan to reduce DMC in 

the coming year. Missouri’s plan will guide the state’s DMC 

reduction efforts and, together with the baseline RRI data, 

help the state track its progress in plan implementation and 

monitoring. 

34 

Web Page 

During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP continued to 

maintain the frequently visited DMC page of its 

Web site. The page provides information about 

DMC-related tools and resources, a catalog of state 

research reports, and a technical assistance manual 

to help states address DMC. The manual outlines a 

step-by-step process for identifying, determining the 

causes of, reducing, and monitoring DMC. It also 

summarizes lessons learned in DMC reduction 

efforts and provides sample tools. Late in 2004, 

OJJDP plans to update and revise the technical 

assistance manual and to develop a Web-based 

DMC data entry tool for use in monitoring DMC 

reduction progress and trends. 

Developing Data Collection Methods 

In FY 2004, OJJDP awarded a congressional earmark grant to the Youth Law Center, Washington, 

DC, to develop new data collection methods for 

Latino youth in the juvenile justice system and to 

reduce DMC for Latino and other minority youth 

at critical decision points. The center is working on 

this project with two jurisdictions over 2 years. 

Training and Technical Assistance 

Research and Evaluation Associates (REA), Chapel 

Hill, NC, is one of three organizations that OJJDP 

funds to provide training and technical assistance 

(T&TA) to states in their efforts to reduce DMC. 

During FY 2003 and 2004, REA’s efforts included 

conducting a review of the states’ DMC plans and 

preparing profiles of states’ DMC technical assistance needs, providing intensive technical assistance 

to selected states and local jurisdictions within those 

states, and revising and updating the DMC training 

curriculum. 

OJJDP funds the Juvenile Justice Evaluation 

Center (JJEC), operated by the Justice Research 

and Statistical Association, Washington, DC, to 

help states incorporate evaluation into DMC program development and planning and form evaluation 

FY 2003–2004

partnerships with state and local juvenile justice 

agencies and professionals. During FY 2003 and 

2004, JJEC made a number of presentations to 

practitioners across the country. Topics of presentations in FY 2004 included revising evaluation approaches to meet the new DMC core requirement 

and using data in DMC-related decisionmaking. 

JJEC also is developing a new publication on 

how to use data to help address DMC. 

OJJDP’s T&TA provider for the Formula Grants 

program, Development Services Group, Inc. (DSG), 

Bethesda, MD, also works with states to address 

DMC. During the past 2 fiscal years, DSG responded to more than 30 requests from states for 

assistance, bringing to 80 the total DMC-related 

requests handled by DSG since its contract with 

OJJDP began in FY 2001. 

Formula Grants Program


Through the Formula Grants program, OJJDP 

provides funds directly to states, U.S. territories, 

and the District of Columbia to help them implement comprehensive juvenile justice plans based 

on detailed studies of needs in their jurisdictions. 

Forty-eight states, all five territories (American 

Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto 

Rico, and the Virgin Islands), and the District of 

Columbia participate in the Formula Grants program. (Wyoming does not participate. As of 

December 31, 2003, South Dakota’s application 

was pending review and approval.) The term 

“states,” as used throughout the remainder of this 

section, encompasses the territories and the District 

in addition to the 48 participating states. 

The 2002 reauthorization of the JJDP Act reaffirmed the four core requirements that participating states must address to receive grants under 

the JJDP Act. The Act requires that states 

deinstitutionalize status offenders, separate juveniles 

from adults in secure facilities, remove juveniles 

from adult jails and lockups, and reduce disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice 

system. 

Annual Report 

While upholding the four core requirements, the 

JJDP Act of 2002 slightly modified the penalties 

for states that do not comply. Failure to achieve or 

maintain compliance reduces the formula grant to 

the state in the subsequent fiscal year by 20 percent 

for each core requirement not met. In addition, the 

noncompliant state must agree to expend 50 percent 

of its allocation for that year to achieve compliance. 

(Previously, findings of noncompliance resulted in a 

25-percent reduction, with 100 percent of the 

remaining allocation for that year used to achieve 

compliance.) These changes went into effect 

October 1, 2003.2 

Helping the states learn about and understand the 

legislative changes to many of its programs was an 

OJJDP priority in FY 2003 and 2004, and the 

Office developed many outreach activities. During 

July and August 2003, OJJDP conducted four 

regional training conferences to prepare state agencies for the statutory and regulatory changes in formula and block grant programs. The 3-day training 

sessions were held in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; 

Jersey City, NJ; and Portland, OR. The training 

provided an overview of the new Act and information about a number of topics, including: 

✦ Developing performance measures to demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of the 

Formula Grants program and OJJDP’s block 

grant programs. 

✦ Changes in compliance monitoring requirements 

under the new Act. 

✦ Measuring DMC in light of the Act’s broadening 

of the concept, as described above in the section 

on DMC. 

✦ Links between child abuse/neglect and delinquency. (The new Act requires collaboration 

between the child welfare and juvenile justice 

systems. As part of the formula grant process, it 

2 Because of the timing of these changes, OJJDP did not assess the states’ level of compliance when it determined eligibility for FY 2004 funding. Compliance levels will be reflected in 

awards for FY 2005. 

FY 2003–2004
 35 
Annual Report 

calls on states to make child welfare records 

available to the juvenile courts so the courts will 

have all available information about each child 

who comes to their attention.) 

OJJDP updated and revised the guidance manual 

and other tools used by the compliance monitors 

who oversee and certify states’ adherence to the core 

requirements. OJJDP also wrote new regulations 

to govern the compliance monitoring process; the 

regulations are being reviewed by OJP’s Office of 

General Counsel and will be published, once 

approved, in the Federal Register and posted on 

OJJDP’s Web site. 

During FY 2003 and 2004, the states participating 

in the Formula Grants program continued to make 

significant progress in achieving compliance with 

the four core protections. As of December 31, 2003, 

most of the states were in full compliance (or in full 

compliance with minimal exceptions) with the first 

three requirements and were making progress in 

meeting the DMC requirement, which, as noted 

earlier, was added as a core protection in 1992 and 

subsequently broadened in scope. 

A summary of state compliance with the core 

requirements for FY 2003 appears on pages 37–39. 

Because of the timeframe of this summary, “DMC” 

refers to disproportionate minority “confinement” 

rather than “contact.” Additional information about 

the Formula Grants program, including a September 

2004 Fact Sheet and the full text of the JJDP Act, 

is available on OJJDP’s Web site. 

Juvenile Accountability Block 

Grants Program 

OJJDP’s Juvenile Accountability Block Grants 

(JABG) program provides funding to help states 

and communities strengthen their juvenile justice 

systems by implementing accountability-based 

reforms. The overarching goals of the program are 

36 

to reduce juvenile offending through accountabilitybased programs and to increase accountability of 

the system. The program was first introduced by 

Congress in 1998 as the Juvenile Accountability 

Incentive Block Grants program. The word “incentive” was dropped from the title when Congress 

revised and renamed the program as part of the 

November 2002 reauthorization of the JJDP Act. 

The changes went into effect on October 1, 2003. 

(For the purposes of this Report, program activities 

funded in FY 2003 are identified as the JAIBG 

program; FY 2004 activities are referred to as the 

JABG program.) 

OJJDP developed proposed regulations for the 

JABG program reflecting the changes in legislation; 

the regulations are being reviewed by OJP’s Office 

of General Counsel and will be published, once 

approved, in the Federal Register and posted on 

OJJDP’s Web site. 

Under the JAIBG/JABG program, OJJDP 

awards block grants to states, which in turn distribute funds to local jurisdictions, and also funds 

program-related research, demonstration, evaluation, training, and technical assistance activities. 

All 50 states, the 5 territories, and the District of 

Columbia are eligible to participate in the JAIBG/ 

JABG program. During FY 2003, 55 eligible jurisdictions received JAIBG awards totaling approximately $149 million. (American Samoa did not 

participate in FY 2003.) The total appropriation 

for JABG in FY 2004 was $60 million. All eligible 

jurisdictions participated in FY 2004. 

JAIBG/JABG funds can be used to support programs in a variety of purpose areas, all aimed at 

helping to hold both juveniles and the juvenile 

justice system more accountable. The new purpose 

areas outlined in the 2002 reauthorization and 

other revisions to the program are described in an 

OJJDP Bulletin, Changes to OJJDP’s Juvenile Accountability Program, released in June 2003. The four sections that follow highlight selected JAIBG/JABG 

activities during FY 2003 and 2004. 

FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

State Compliance With Core Protections of the Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention Act 

The status reported in this summary is current as 

of December 31, 2003. DSO, separation, and 

jail/lockup removal compliance is based on 2001 

state monitoring reports (2002 reports for Oregon, 

Puerto Rico, and South Carolina). DMC compliance is based on FY 2003 Formula Grants program 

comprehensive plans. Wyoming did not participate 

in the FY 2003 Formula Grants program. As of 

December 31, 2003, South Dakota’s application 

was pending review and approval. 

Section 223(a)(12)(A): Deinstitutionalization 

of Status and Nonoffenders (DSO) 

Full compliance—zero violations: American 

Samoa, Guam, Maine, Northern Mariana Islands, 

Puerto Rico. 

Full compliance—de minimis exceptions:a 

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, 

Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of 

Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, 

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, 

Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, 

Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, 

Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, 

New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North 

Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, 

Assessing and Documenting the 

Effectiveness of JABG Programs 

In addition to the revisions discussed above, the 

November 2002 reauthorization provides, for the 

first time, statutory authorization for the JABG 

program and empowers OJJDP to require states 

and their subgrantees to assess the effectiveness of 

their JABG-funded programs. When applying for 

JABG funds, states are now required to include the 

criteria they will use to measure the effectiveness of 

funded activities. States and subgrantees are also 

required to submit annual reports to OJJDP that 

Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, 

Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Not in compliance: South Carolina, Virgin Islands, 

Washington. 

Section 223(a)(13): Separation of Juveniles 

and Adult Offenders 

Full compliance—zero violations: Alabama, 

Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, 

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, 

Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, 

Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 

Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New 

York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern 

Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, 

Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, 

Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Full compliance—exception provision:b Arizona, 

Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, 

New Jersey, Oregon (provisional),c Tennessee, 

Texas. 

Not in compliance: Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, 

Virgin Islands. 

continued on page 38 

summarize grant activities and their effectiveness. 

Finally, the new legislation requires that OJJDP 

prepare an annual report to Congress; the first 

report is due in January 2005. 

To help JABG grantees document and assess the 

effectiveness of their activities, OJJDP developed 

and began implementing a system of outcome-based 

performance measures appropriate for all activities 

funded with JABG funds. The measures are carefully defined for consistent application across the 

continued on page 40 

FY 2003–2004 37 
Annual Report 

Section 223(a)(14): Jail and Lockup Removal 

Full compliance—zero violations: Alabama, 

American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, 

Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Northern 

Mariana Islands, South Carolina. 

Full compliance—de minimis exceptions:d Alaska, 

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, 

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, 

Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, 

Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, 

New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, 

Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West 

Virginia, Wisconsin. 

Not in compliance: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. 

Section 223(1)(23): Disproportionate 

Minority Confinement (DMC) 

Completed identification and assessment/updated 

assessment/implementing intervention, monitoring, and evaluation: Colorado, Pennsylvania, 

Washington. 

Completed identification and assessment/ 

implementing intervention/submitted updated 

data (evidencing ongoing monitoring): Alabama, 

Alaska,e Arizona, California,e Connecticut, 

Delaware,f Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, 

Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New 

Jersey, New Mexico,g New York, North Dakota, 

Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina,g Tennessee,e 

Texas, Virginia. 

Completed identification/implementing 

intervention/planning to update identification 

and/or conduct formal assessment: Indiana, 

North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia. 

Completed identification and assessment/ 

implementing intervention: Florida, Maryland, 

Massachusetts,g Nebraska, Utah, Wisconsin. 

Updated identification/planning or conducting 

assessment: American Samoa, Guam, Northern 

Marianas. 

Completed identification/planning or conducting 

assessment: Maine, Vermont. 

Exempt from DMC requirement (racially homogeneous population): Puerto Rico. 

Drawdown restriction:h Arkansas, Kansas, 

Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New 

Hampshire, Rhode Island, Virgin Islands. 

DMC status under review: District of Columbia. 

a

Fewer than 29.4 violations per 100,000 persons under age 18 in the state.


bOJJDP regulatory criteria set forth in Section 31.303(f)(6)(ii) of the OJJDP Formula Grants Regulations (28 C.F.R. 31), published in the May 31,


1995, Federal Register, allow states reporting noncompliant incidents to continue in the program provided the incidents are not in violation of state


law and no pattern or practice exists.


c

State currently allows commingling of juveniles and young adult inmates in juvenile correctional facilities and training schools and must submit


an acceptable plan to eliminate noncompliant incidents. OJJDP is working with the state on the plan.


dState was found in compliance based on the numerical or substantive de minimis standard criteria set forth in Section 31.303(f)(6)(iii)(B) 


of the OJJDP Formula Grants Regulations (28 C.F.R. 31) and published in the May 31, 1995, Federal Register.


e

State began to receive intensive DMC technical assistance in January 2002 to further enhance its DMC efforts.


f

State received intensive DMC technical assistance from November 2000 to July 2001 to further enhance its DMC efforts.


g

State has received intensive DMC technical assistance since November 2000 to further enhance its DMC efforts.


hDrawdown restriction (25 percent of FY 2003 Formula Grant allocation) pending submission of required information.


38 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Core Protections Compliance Summary Totals 

(as of December 31, 2003) 

Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO) Number of Jurisdictions 

Full compliance—zero violations 5 

Full compliance—de minimis exceptions 46 

Not in compliance 3 

Separation of Juvenile and Adult Offenders 

Full compliance—zero violations 41


Full compliance—exception provision 10


Not in compliance 3


Jail and Lockup Removal 

Full compliance—zero violations 9


Full compliance—de minimis exceptions 43


Not in compliance 2


Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC) 

Completed identification and assessment/updated assessment/


implementing intervention, monitoring, and evaluation 3


Completed identification and assessment/implementing intervention


and monitoring/submitted updated data 25


Completed identification/implementing intervention/planning to


update identification and/or conduct formal assessment 4


Completed identification and assessment/


implementing intervention 6


Updated identification/planning or conducting assessment 3


Completed identification/planning or conducting assessment 2


Exempt from DMC requirement 1


Drawdown restriction 9


DMC status under review 1


Note: States’ eligibility to receive FY 2003 formula grants was determined on the basis of 2001 monitoring reports for compliance with JJDP Act 

core protections regarding DSO, separation, and jail and lockup removal and on the basis of information in FY 2003 Formula Grants program 

comprehensive plans for compliance with the DMC core protection. One state did not participate in the FY 2003 Formula Grants program, and 

another states’s application was pending review and approval as of December 31, 2003. 

FY 2003–2004
 39 
Annual Report 

continued from page 37 

program, so that when states report their state-level 

aggregated data to OJJDP each year, these data 

can then be aggregated at the national level to 

provide an accurate measure of overall program 

performance. OJJDP will incorporate the data 

in its annual reports to Congress. 

Training and Technical Assistance 

To help states and local jurisdictions implement 

JAIBG/JABG programs, OJJDP provides T&TA 

through a contract with the OJJDP National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC), 

described later in this chapter. The center holds 

training events, workshops, presentations, and 

videoconferences for juvenile justice specialists, 

judges, probation officers, law enforcement officers, 

court and school personnel, prosecutors, and detention staff. 

During FY 2003, the training program featured 

three topical training sessions for state and local 

JAIBG grantees and several Web-based training 

sessions. By directly training state and local practitioners on best practices in juvenile accountability 

and graduated sanctions, OJJDP helps state and 

local governments improve their juvenile justice 

systems’ capacity to enhance accountability. During 

the latter part of FY 2003, NTTAC conducted a 

needs assessment to determine the future T&TA 

needs of JABG grantees. The center plans to collect 

information about T&TA needs regularly so it can 

continue to meet the evolving needs of the field. 

Technical assistance is also available through the 

JABG Technical Support Center. Created by 

OJJDP and OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, 

the center helps states calculate the amount of 

JABG funds to be allocated to local jurisdictions. 

The center’s Web site can be accessed at 

www.jrsa.org/jabg. 

Best Practices Bulletins 

To provide practitioners with information about 

JAIBG, OJJDP published a series of JAIBG Best 

Practices Bulletins, which present up-to-date information about specific program purpose areas. The 

final Bulletin in the series, Best Practices in Juvenile 

Accountability: Overview, was published in April 2003. 

Evaluation of JAIBG 

In 2003, Abt Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 

completed a 48-month evaluation of the JAIBG 

program that focused on its administration, including how grants are used by state and local recipients 

and what types of programs are funded. The study 

found that the major congressional expectations for 

the JAIBG program were achieved. The study also 

documented state and local programs’ access to and 

use of T&TA, practitioners’ and policymakers’ 

attitudes toward the JAIBG program, and states’ 

responses to the JAIBG purpose areas. In addition, 

evaluators conducted a mail survey of state and local 

practitioners and policymakers to assess their attitudes about the JAIBG program and their perceptions of how it was implemented in their 

jurisdictions. 

For more information about the evaluation and 

other JABG-related publications and activities, 

visit the JABG page of OJJDP’s Web site. 

Juvenile Integrated
 Information Sharing


It is crucial that agencies—such as education, 

health, justice, and welfare—that provide services to 

at-risk and delinquent youth and their families share 

information as part of a comprehensive, coordinated 

approach to helping these families. However, complex issues can impede the information-sharing 

process. These issues include concerns about confidentiality and privacy, blurred lines of authority, 

gaps in data integration, service fragmentation, and 

distrust and hostility among agencies. 

40 FY 2003–2004

To address barriers to information sharing and help 

agencies develop coordinated information-sharing 

plans, OJJDP, along with the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services, launched the Juvenile Integrated Information Sharing (JIIS) training 

and technical assistance program in 2001. The 

training is provided by the Center for Non-Profit 

Development/Center for Network Development 

(CND), Denver, CO. CND uses a cadre of peer 

consultants (judges, school administrators, law 

enforcement officers, and human services directors) 

to show participants how they can benefit from 

interagency collaboration and information sharing. 

To date, 92 jurisdictional teams representing 27 

states and 1 territory have received training through 

this program. CND’s other activities include: 

✦ Creating tools for assessing the T&TA needs of 

jurisdictions. 

✦ Examining and developing solutions to the legal, 

ethical, technical, structural, and political challenges to sharing information, with special 

emphasis on medical/mental health information. 

✦ Developing and disseminating “lessons learned” 

and “how to” technical assistance guides and 

other educational materials. 

✦ Developing a database of resources. 

The project strategy focuses on strengthening the 

capacity of jurisdictions to integrate information by 

building more effective partnerships, addressing 

confidentiality and privacy protection, and employing appropriate technology that secures and integrates information. Additional information about 

the JIIS program is available at juvenileiis.org. 

Juvenile Justice Advisory 

Committee 

The OJJDP Administrator appointed members of 

a new advisory committee in 2003 to report to the 

President and Congress on juvenile justice matters 

Annual Report 

and advise the Administrator about the work of the 

Office. Established by the 2002 reauthorization of 

the JJDP Act, the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee3 comprises representatives from each of the 

50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 5 territories. Members, who are nominated by Governors 

and appointed by the OJJDP Administrator, are 

from the State Advisory Groups, which take part in 

developing and implementing the juvenile justice 

plans that states must submit to OJJDP to receive 

formula grant funds. 

At the Advisory Committee’s first meeting in January 2004 in Point Clear, AL, members elected officers and established four committees to address 

mandated responsibilities: the Annual Report Committee, Grants Committee, Legal Affairs Committee, 

and Planning Committee. The members also made 

recommendations to the OJJDP Administrator 

regarding the distribution of Title V Community 

Prevention grants and recent amendments to the 

Anti-Lobbying Act. The Committee held its second 

meeting in Denver, CO, in July 2004. A third meeting is scheduled for December 2004. 

The Advisory Committee prepared its first annual 

reports to the President and Congress and to the 

OJJDP Administrator during FY 2004. The report 

to the President and Congress outlines the critical 

need to continue focusing on delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and lists 13 recommendations. The report to the OJJDP Administrator 

also points to the need for prevention and includes 

23 recommendations. The reports are scheduled for 

release early in 2005. 

For more information about the Advisory Committee, including a list of members and summaries of 

meetings, see the Committee’s page on the OJJDP 

Web site. 

3

A name change—from Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee 

to Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice—was 

under consideration at the time this Report was written. 

FY 2003–2004
 41 
Annual Report 

National Training and 

Technical Assistance Center 

Providing training and technical assistance to juvenile justice practitioners is one of OJJDP’s primary 

functions. OJJDP established the National Training and Technical Assistance Center in 1995. Operated by Caliber Associates, Fairfax, VA, the center 

coordinates the services of more than 70 OJJDP 

T&TA providers and supplies information to the 

field about T&TA resources. In addition, NTTAC 

provides T&TA to grantees of OJP’s Serious and 

Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, discussed in 

chapter 4, and recently began providing T&TA for 

states participating in the Juvenile Accountability 

Block Grants program, discussed earlier in this 

chapter. 

NTTAC is updating the OJJDP Training and Technical Assistance Catalog, which provides contact 

information and descriptions of the organizations 

funded by OJJDP to provide T&TA. The catalog 

will be available in late 2004 or early 2005. For 

more information, visit NTTAC’s Web page at 

www.nttac.org. 

Performance Measures


Recognizing the importance of knowing whether 

programs work, OJJDP developed an outcomefocused performance measurement system for the 

Formula Grants program and other OJJDP programs. The system will be implemented in FY 2005. 

As part of this system, the Office developed an 

automated electronic tool to help OJJDP program 

managers and grant applicants identify appropriate 

performance indicators for individual earmarked 

projects. Performance measurements, which focus 

on outcomes and best practices as identified by 

research, are based on indicators that are appropriate for most goals and objectives of each funded 

project. Performance indicators also have been 

developed and implemented for the JABG 

program, as mentioned earlier in this chapter. 

42 

State Challenge Activities


The State Challenge Activities Program provides 

funding incentives for states participating in the 

Formula Grants program to improve their juvenile 

justice systems by developing, adopting, or improving policies and programs in 1 or more of 10 specific 

State Challenge activities. The program, which was 

established by the 1992 reauthorization of the JJDP 

Act of 1974, was not included in the JJDP Act of 

2002. Congress appropriated funds for the program 

in FY 2003, but not in FY 2004. (Background 

information about the program is available in the 

OJJDP Bulletin System Change Through State Challenge Activities: Approaches and Products, which was 

released in 2000.) 

During FY 2003, OJJDP awarded nearly $8.8 

million in State Challenge grants to 48 states, the 

District of Columbia, and 5 territories. The State 

Challenge activities most often addressed in FY 

2003 were aftercare (or reentry), community-based 

alternatives, gender bias policies and programs, and 

alternatives to suspension and expulsion. Activities 

least often addressed were violent juvenile offender 

facilities and state ombudsman programs. A chart 

summarizing the implementation of State Challenge 

activities appears on page 43. 

Recognizing the importance of helping states bring 

about systemic changes in their juvenile justice systems, OJJDP developed a series of Bulletins based 

on the State Challenge program areas. Although the 

Challenge Program has been discontinued, the series 

covers a wide range of juvenile justice topics of 

interest to many practitioners regardless of funding 

source. Thus, OJJDP is continuing to address 

these topics through the new online Juvenile Justice Practices Series of Bulletins. Each Bulletin 

contains a literature review, detailed information on 

programs that have been demonstrated to be effective or promising, and related resources. Two Bulletins were published in FY 2003 and 2004. 

✦ Aftercare Services, released in September 2003, 

describes programs to help offenders after their 

release from correctional facilities. 

FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

FY 2003 Challenge Activity Summary


17 

6 

22 

0 

22 

3 

7 

26 

6 

A: Basic System Services 

B: Access to Counsel 

C: Community-Based Alternatives 

D: Violent Juvenile Offender Facilities 

E: Gender Bias Policies and Programs 

F: State Ombudsman 

G: Deinstitutionalization of Status 

Offenders and Nonoffenders 

H: Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsion 

I: Aftercare Services 

J: State Agency Coordination/Case Review 

System 

22 

0 5 15 20 25 30 

Number of states selecting each activity 

10 

✦ Access to Counsel, released in June 2004, examines 

access to legal counsel in the juvenile justice 

system. 

Targeted Community Action 

Planning Initiative 

OJJDP’s Targeted Community Action Planning 

(TCAP) Initiative is helping several communities 

develop comprehensive responses that directly target their most pressing juvenile justice and delinquency prevention needs. The Office announced 

the pilot sites selected to participate in TCAP in 

September 2003. The sites are Maricopa County, 

AZ; Champaign, DE; Louisville, KY; Santa Fe, NM; 

Madison and Union Counties, OH; Providence, RI; 

North Charleston, SC; Hopewell, VA; and Sawyer 

County, WI. Development Services Group, Inc., is 

providing technical assistance to the sites. 

The TCAP sites represent diverse populations, 

including American Indian and Hispanic youth. The 

sites have identified a range of juvenile justice problems in their communities, such as truancy and 

other status offenses, disproportionate minority 

contact with the juvenile justice system, gang activity, child maltreatment, juvenile sex offending, and 

immigration issues. 

The TCAP Initiative involves four phases: diagnostic assessment of problems; analysis of problems; 

development of a response; and implementation of 

the response. The key component of the program is 

its focus on results rather than process. During FY 

2004, the sites identified their most pressing juvenile 

justice problems and the related threats to public 

safety, the pathways leading to these problems and 

threats, and the target juvenile population for their 

work. 

OJJDP anticipates selecting additional TCAP sites 

in FY 2005. The Office will use existing statistics to 

identify communities that have significant crime 

problems and high rates of juvenile crime and delinquency and invite these communities to apply to 

participate in the TCAP Initiative. To participate, 

communities will need to demonstrate not only a 

significant juvenile crime problem but also a willingness to address the problem, an identifiable target 

population, and the ability to collect related data. 

FY 2003–2004
 43 
Annual Report 

OJJDP released a TCAP Planning Toolkit in 2003. 

This step-by-step tutorial provides community 

planners with tools and resources for implementing 

and sustaining TCAP-related efforts. It guides planners through a process that includes mobilization, 

assessment, planning, and implementation. The 

Toolkit includes worksheets and other materials to 

help planners collect data, analyze information on 

resources, develop responses targeted to critical 

issues, and implement action plans that address a 

community’s most pressing problems. The Toolkit 

and other information about TCAP are available on 

the TCAP page of the OJJDP Web site. 

44 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Chapter 7: 


Implementing Tribal Youth Initiatives 


Since 1999, OJJDP has supported tribal efforts to 

prevent and control delinquency and improve the 

juvenile justice system for American Indian and 

Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth through the Tribal 

Youth Program (TYP). The Office oversees TYP 

as part of the Indian Country Law Enforcement 

Initiative, a joint activity of DOJ and the U.S. 

Department of the Interior. Congress has appropriated approximately $12 million annually for TYP. 

During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP continued to 

fund TYP activities, TYP mental health initiatives, 

training and technical assistance, and research and 

evaluation projects; developed the Tribal Juvenile 

Accountability Discretionary Grant program; sponsored the first-ever tribal videoconference in Indian 

Country; developed publications that address issues 

related to tribal youth; and maintained a TYP page 

on its Web site. These and other activities highlighted in this chapter represent OJJDP’s efforts 

to help tribal communities address juvenile crime 

and victimization involving AI/AN youth. 

Tribal Youth Program


OJJDP awards TYP funds directly to tribal communities to develop and implement culturally sensitive delinquency prevention programs, alcohol and 

substance abuse prevention programs, interventions 

for court-involved youth, and improvements to the 

juvenile justice system. Tribes use TYP funding for 

a variety of activities, including truancy prevention, 

mentoring programs, youth courts, restitution, home 

detention, community-based services, and afterschool 

programs. Many of these activities incorporate traditional tribal cultural events, such as powwows, storytelling, drumming and dancing, and sweat lodges. 

OJJDP awarded TYP funds to 29 tribes in FY 

2003 and 27 tribes in FY 2004. A list of grantees is 

available on the TYP page of OJJDP’s Web site. 

TYP Mental Health Initiative


The TYP Mental Health Initiative helps tribal 

communities provide substance abuse prevention/ 

intervention and mental health services to youth 

who are involved in, or at risk of becoming involved 

in, the juvenile justice system. The initiative was 

established in FY 2000 in response to evidence of 

substance abuse and mental health problems in 

tribal communities. Statistics indicate that compared 

with other youth, tribal youth begin using alcohol 

at a younger age and use it more frequently and in 

greater quantities. In addition, negative consequences of drinking are more common and more 

severe for tribal youth than for other youth. OJJDP 

awarded funds for TYP mental health programs to 9 

tribes in FY 2003 and 3 in FY 2004, bringing to 28 

the total number of awards since 2000. 

Tribal Juvenile Accountability


Discretionary Grant Program


OJJDP announced a new tribal program in FY 

2004 designed to encourage federally recognized 

tribes to implement programs that strengthen tribal 

juvenile justice systems and promote reforms that 

hold AI/AN youth accountable for their offenses. 

The Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary 

Grant (JADG) program, a separate program under 

the Juvenile Accountability Block Grants program, 

was authorized by the Omnibus Crime Control and 

Safe Streets Act of 2002. Under the Tribal JADG 

program, OJJDP awards discretionary funds to 

tribes to address one or more of 16 specific purpose 

areas outlined on the JABG page of OJJDP’s Web 

site. In FY 2004, OJJDP awarded three cooperative agreements under the Tribal JADG program. 

The recipients were the Menominee Indian Tribe of 

Wisconsin, the Chickasaw Nation (Oklahoma), and 

the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. 

FY 2003–2004
 45 
Annual Report 

Training and Technical 

Assistance 

OJJDP provides a comprehensive program of 

training and technical assistance for TYP grantees. 

The Native American Alliance Foundation (NAAF), 

Albuquerque, NM, was competitively selected to 

provide this service beginning in FY 2003 and since 

has served almost 700 individuals. Major activities 

included sponsoring workshops on topics such as 

adding adolescent treatment components to TYP 

projects, using strength-based strategies to work 

with youth, and managing information systems and 

evaluation activities. NAAF also sponsored orientation meetings for new grantees, held regional meetings for TYP and mental health grantees, organized 

focus group meetings, developed curriculum materials, and helped TYP grantees develop their own 

materials. 

NAAF maintains a Web site (www.native-alliance. 

org) and listserv to help tribal programs access upto-date information and resources about issues such 

as substance abuse, Healing to Wellness courts, 

program management, and juvenile crime prevention and intervention. 

Conferences


As part of its efforts to reach out to tribal leaders 

and communities, OJJDP convened two major 

conferences during FY 2003 and 2004. The conferences focused on issues and challenges facing tribal 

youth. 

Conference in Indian Country 

As part of its T&TA activities, OJJDP sponsored 

a day-long conference for tribal leaders in Window 

Rock, AZ, the government seat of the Navajo Nation, on July 1, 2003. More than 170 tribal leaders 

and community members, juvenile justice officials 

and practitioners, and others concerned with the 

well-being of tribal youth attended the conference. 

The theme was “Holding Up Both Ends of the Sky: 

46 

Juvenile Justice Partners in Indian Country.” Participants 

discussed the problems 

facing tribal communities and learned about 

federally funded programs available to help 

address them. 

The conference was 

rich in Native American culture and inNavajo Code Talkers led the opening flag cluded traditional 

ceremony at the July 2003 conference,


“Holding Up Both Ends of the Sky: Juve- songs, a flag ceremony


nile Justice Partners in Indian Country.” led by members of the


Navajo Code Talker 

Association, and a traditional lunch served by the 

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Navajo Nation. A 2-hour 

videoconference featured a panel discussion with 

the OJJDP Administrator and tribal representatives and documentaries on six TYP-funded youth 

programs. The conference is summarized in OJJDP 

News @ a Glance (July/August 2003). The videoconference portion can be viewed on the Juvenile Justice Telecommunications Assistance Project Web 

site (www.trc.eku.edu/jj/archive.html). 

Tribal Leaders Listening Conference 

OJJDP convened a Tribal Leaders Listening Conference in Washington, DC, on September 27–28, 

2004. The conference coincided with the grand 

opening of the National Museum of the American 

Indian, located on the National Mall. Its purpose 

was to foster collaboration between tribes and the 

federal government on issues and challenges affecting tribal youth. Participants included tribal leaders 

who are committed to addressing these issues and 

challenges. They met with representatives from the 

U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, the Interior, and Health and Human Services. Prior to the 

conference, the tribal leaders attended regional 

focus groups to initiate discussions and shape the 

content of the September conference. 

FY 2003–2004

Research and Evaluation 

Activities 

OJJDP supports research and evaluation activities 

designed to provide empirical evidence about juvenile justice and delinquency prevention policies and 

practices and their impact on tribal youth. 

Longitudinal Study 

In 2002, OJJDP began a major new study of risk 

and protective factors for juvenile delinquency in 

tribal communities. The Longitudinal Study of 

Tribal Youth Risk and Resiliency Using the Community Readiness Model is being conducted by 

Colorado State University’s Tri-Ethnic Center for 

Prevention Research, Boulder, CO. The principal 

investigator and key staff involved in the study are 

American Indian. By emphasizing culture and history, the study will significantly add to knowledge 

about the factors that affect delinquency and 

resiliency among tribal youth and will promote 

development of culturally appropriate research 

methods for use with tribal communities. 

During FY 2003 and 2004, researchers completed a 

feasibility study and began working with three 

tribes to develop methodology and infrastructure 

for the longitudinal study. The participating tribes 

are the Assiniboine-Sioux of Ft. Peck (MT), the 

Nez Perce (ND), and the Red Lake Band of 

Chippewa (MN). 

The feasibility study produced an assessment of 

tribes’ readiness to engage in research about delinquency prevention and develop action plans, an 

annotated bibliography of literature relevant to 

AI/AN delinquency, a monograph exploring aspects 

of delinquency in tribal areas (written by experts in 

the field, many of whom are American Indian), descriptions of the three participating tribes’ current 

Annual Report 

juvenile justice systems, and tribal histories reflecting strengths that may apply to delinquency prevention. Researchers also developed a methodology/ 

design plan and instruments that incorporate both 

established research practices and specific tribal 

needs. 

Research is often a sensitive issue with tribes. Each 

of the three tribes initiated its own tribal resolution 

to participate in this project. In one case, although 

the tribe remained strongly committed to this study 

because tribal members are directing the research, 

the tribal council stipulated that no additional 

research be conducted on its reservation. 

TYP Evaluation Project 

During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP continued to 

support a program that is helping five tribes evaluate the effectiveness of efforts they have funded 

with their TYP grants. The Tribal Youth Evaluation Facilitation Project is being conducted by the 

Michigan Public Health Institute, Okemos, MI. 

Participating tribes are the Eastern Aleutian Tribes, 

Inc. (AK); the Hannahville Indian Community 

(MI); the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (WA); the 

Navajo Nation (AZ/NM); and the Puyallup Tribe 

of Indians (WA). 

This project is building the capacity of tribes to conduct their own evaluations of TYP-funded activities. 

It is also documenting the juvenile justice activities 

and responsibilities of tribal communities; how they 

interrelate with county, state, and federal governments; and the historical, social, and economic contexts in which they exist. The final phase of the 

evaluation project began in 2004. Researchers are 

comparing participating tribes with five TYPfunded tribes that did not receive evaluation assistance. Study results are expected in 2005. 

FY 2003–2004
 47 
Annual Report 

New Publications


OJJDP released two new Bulletins that address 

juvenile justice issues related to AI/AN youth. 

✦ OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Initiatives, published in May 

2003, describes the Office’s efforts to assist tribal 

communities in addressing risk factors for 

delinquency. 

✦ Youth Gangs in Indian Country, published in March 

2004, describes the nature of youth gangs in 

Indian country and presents an overview of programmatic responses to the problem. The Bulletin 

draws on research findings from a National Youth 

Gang Center survey of a national sample of tribal 

respondents and a field study of gangs in the 

Navajo Nation. 

48 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Chapter 8: 


Collecting Information on Juveniles in Custody 


For three decades, OJJDP has collected information on the number of juveniles held in detention 

and other facilities. Until 1995, these data were 

gathered through the biennial Census of Public and 

Private Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities, better known as the Children in Custody (CIC) Census. In the late 1990s, OJJDP 

initiated two new data collection programs to gather 

comprehensive and detailed information about juvenile offenders in custody and about the facilities that 

house them: the Census of Juveniles in Residential 

Placement (CJRP) and the Juvenile Residential 

Facility Census (JRFC). 

CJRP and JRFC collect information from all 

secure and nonsecure residential facilities that house 

juvenile offenders, defined as persons younger than 

21 who are held in a residential setting because of 

an offense and as a result of some contact with the 

justice system. This encompasses both status offenders and delinquent offenders, including those who 

are either detained or committed for an offense. 

Both CJRP and JRFC ask facilities to report on 

the number of juveniles in residential placement. 

Although the most recent aggregate data on the 

number of juveniles in placement are from the 

2002 JRFC, more detailed data are available from 

the 2001 CJRP, which asks facilities to report 

individual-level information on each resident. 

This chapter summarizes data derived mainly from 

CJRP and JRFC. It also discusses a recent OJJDP 

survey of youth in residential placement and an 

upcoming study on juveniles on probation and the 

offices that supervise them. 

Census of Juveniles in


Residential Placement


CJRP has been conducted four times, in 1997, 

1999, 2001, and 2003. The 2003 CJRP was recently 

completed, and findings are expected to be available 

in early 2005. The following information on juveniles in custody is from the 2001 CJRP. 

An estimated 104,413 juvenile offenders were in 

residential placement in 2001, a 4-percent decrease 

from 1999 and the lowest count since CJRP data 

collection began in 1997. Although the numbers 

have decreased, the offense profile of juveniles in 

custody remains similar to the 1999 and 1997 

profiles. 

The offense profile of youth in 


residential placement was similar 


in 1997, 1999, and 2001


Offense 1997 1999 2001 

Person 33% 35% 33% 

Property 30 29 28 

Drug 9 9 9 

Public Order 9 10 10 

Technical Violation 12 13 15 

Status Offense 7 4 5 

Source: Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement Databook 

(ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/cjrp/asp/State_Offense.asp). 

In 2001, juvenile offenders were held in 2,980 facilities: 1,197 public facilities, 1,774 private facilities, 

and 9 tribal facilities. Public facilities held 70 

percent of all juvenile offenders in residential placement, private facilities held 30 percent, and tribal 

facilities held less than 1 percent. 

FY 2003–2004
 49 
Annual Report 

As a resource for those who want to learn more 

about youth in custody, OJJDP makes CJRP data 

available online in the “Statistical Briefing Book” 

section of the OJJDP Web site. 

Juvenile Residential Facility 

Census 

JRFC collects information about facilities (rather 

than residents) and includes questions about available beds, security, and services (education, mental 

health, medical, and substance abuse). JRFC also 

asks about deaths of residents in custody. JRFC 

was conducted in 2000 and 2002 and will be conducted again in October 2004. The following information is from the 2002 JRFC. 

Facility Size 

Facility size varied widely in the 2002 JRFC. 

Although more than half of all facilities were small 

(fewer than 20 residents), nearly half of all juvenile 

offenders in custody were held in large facilities 

(more than 100 residents). The largest facilities 

(more than 200 residents) accounted for only 3 percent of all facilities but held 27 percent of all juveniles in custody. The smallest facilities (10 or fewer 

residents) accounted for 34 percent of all facilities 

but held only 5 percent of all offenders. 

Crowding 

Facilities reported the number of standard beds and 

the number of occupied makeshift beds as of the 

census date. Six percent of facilities indicated that 

they did not have enough standard beds for all of 

their residents. These “crowded” facilities held 

about 14 percent of all youth in custody. 

Crowding occurs when the number of residents 

occupying all or part of a facility exceeds a predetermined limit based on square footage, utility use, 

or even fire codes. Comparing the number of residents to the number of standard beds—although 

Six percent of facilities 


reported not having enough 


beds for residents


Facilities Facilities 

under Facilities at over 

capacity (%) capacity (%) capacity (%) 

Total 64 30 6 

Public 69 16 15 

Private 60 39 1 

Note: A single bed was counted as one standard bed, a bunk bed 

as two standard beds. Makeshift beds (e.g., cots, roll-outs, mattresses, sofas) were not counted. Facilities were classified as over 

capacity if they reported more residents than standard beds or if 

they reported any occupied makeshift beds. 

Source: Sickmund, M. Forthcoming. Juvenile Residential Facility 

Census, 2002: Selected Findings. OJJDP Bulletin. 

The number of juvenile offenders held in facilities varied widely 

Facility size Number of Percent of Number of Percent of 

(number of residents) facilities facilities offenders offenders 

All facilities 2,964 

1–10 1,003 

11–20 648 

21–50 704 

51–100 350 

101–200 171 

201–972 88 

100 102,388 100 

34 4,845 5 

22 7,806 8 

24 19,819 19 

12 20,630 20 

6 21,664 21 

3 27,624 27 

Source: Sickmund, M. Forthcoming. Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2002: Selected Findings. OJJDP Bulletin. 

50 FY 2003–2004 
not a perfect measure of crowding—gives a sense of 

a facility’s crowding situation. However, a facility 

may be crowded even if it is not relying on makeshift beds. For example, crowding problems may 

exist in a facility that uses standard beds in the 

infirmary for youth who are not sick or standard 

beds in seclusion for youth who have not committed 

infractions. Thus, in considering crowding, it is 

important to look at facilities that are at, as well as 

over, standard bed capacity. 

Locked Rooms 

According to the 2002 JRFC, 32 percent of facilities that reported security information said they 

locked youth in their sleeping rooms to confine 

them at least some of the time. Only 7 percent of 

private facilities locked youth in sleeping rooms, 

compared with 66 percent of public facilities. Among 

facilities that locked youth in sleeping rooms, threequarters did this when youth were out of control, 

and one-quarter did it when youth were suicidal. 

Deaths in Custody


The 2002 JRFC found that 26 juveniles died while 

in custody, compared with 30 in 2000 and 45 in 

1994. The 26 deaths in 2002 occurred in 24 facilities: 22 facilities reported single deaths, 2 facilities 

Annual Report 

each reported 2 deaths. Concern has been expressed 

about the risk of death for juveniles in custody as 

compared to the risk for youth in the general population. If the death rate for youth in the general 

population is applied to the population of juveniles 

in custody, more than 60 deaths per year would be 

expected—more than double the number actually 

reported to JRFC in 2002. 

More than half of deaths reported in 2002 occurred 

inside the facility (14 of 26). Public facilities accounted for most deaths that occurred inside the 

facility, and private facilities accounted for most 

deaths that occurred outside the facility. Overall, 

public facilities reported 16 deaths; private facilities 

reported 10. 

Suicide was the most commonly reported cause of 

death in custody during the 12 months prior to the 

census. The next most common cause was accidents. All facilities that reported suicides said they 

evaluate all residents for suicide risk, and all but 

two said they make that evaluation within 24 hours 

of a resident’s arrival. One facility said it evaluated 

by the end of the first week, and another said it 

screened for suicide risk at detention intake or if a 

youth is referred for screening by a counselor. A 

total of 122 facilities reported transporting at least 

one juvenile to a hospital emergency room because 

of a suicide attempt; none of these facilities reported 

a suicide death. 

Suicide was the most commonly reported cause of death in 

custody during the 12 months prior to the census 

Inside the facility Outside the facility 

Cause of death Total All Public Private All Public Private 

Total 26 14 11 3 12 5 7 

Suicide 10 8 7 1 2 1 1 

Accident 6 1 1 5 2 3 

Illness/natural 6 4 2 2 2 1 1 

Homicide by nonresident 2 0 2 1 1 

Other 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 

Note: Data are reported deaths of youth in custody from 10/1/2001 through 9/30/2002. 

Source: Sickmund, M. Forthcoming. Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2002: Selected Findings. OJJDP Bulletin. 

FY 2003–2004
 51 
Annual Report 

Survey of Youth in Residential 

Placement 

In addition to supporting the collection of important 

information through CJRP and JRFC, OJJDP 

has long recognized the value of surveying youth in 

juvenile justice system facilities. Such surveys can 

provide a wealth of information on past offending 

behavior, pathways to delinquency, family and social 

environments, and experiences in custody. In 1998, 

OJJDP awarded a cooperative agreement to Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD, to develop the Survey of 

Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP), which 

collects self-report data from a national sample of 

juveniles in residential placement. 

SYRP encompasses youth with long-term placements in training schools and residential treatment 

facilities and those with short-term placements in 

detention centers, shelters, and group homes. The 

purpose is to obtain individual-level information on 

the background and custody experience of these 

youth. Among questions SYRP addresses are the 

following: 

✦ Who are the youth in custody? What are their 

needs? 

✦ Are these youth in settings that are healthy, safe, 

secure? 

✦ Are they being appropriately held accountable 

for offenses? 

✦ What are their expectations for the future? 

The survey instrument—the Audio-ComputerAssisted Self-Interview (ACASI)—uses a desktop 

computer screen, headphones, and stylus to collect 

information. The instrument underwent extensive 

testing in 2000. A representative sample of more 

than 7,000 youth ages 10–20 in 204 facilities nationwide completed the survey in 2003. Findings are 

being analyzed, and a final report is expected in 

early 2005. OJJDP also plans to disseminate findings through a series of bulletins and at conferences. 

Census and Survey of Juvenile Probation 

To help determine the number of juveniles under 

community supervision and the nature of that 

supervision, OJJDP funds the Census and Survey 

of Juvenile Probation (CSJP), which is being conducted jointly by George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, and the U.S. Bureau of the Census. CSJP 

consists of two surveys: the Census of Juvenile Probation Supervision Offices, which gathers information on juvenile probation counts, processing, and 

programming; and the Census of Juveniles on Probation, which collects aggregate counts of juveniles 

on probation by geographic area and information 

about their demographic characteristics and 

offenses. Both surveys will be field tested in 2005 

and administered in 2005 and 2006. 

52 FY 2003–2004

Chapter 9: 


Getting the Word Out 


During the past 2 years, OJJDP continued its 

effort to provide information to the field in a more 

timely manner by shifting its focus from printed to 

electronic documents. The move toward electronic 

publication is especially beneficial for statistical 

information, which often becomes outdated shortly 

after publication. Electronic publishing allows the 

Office to release updated statistical publications 

soon after new data become available. In addition, 

readers benefit from being able to electronically 

incorporate information from OJJDP documents 

into their own materials and from using electronic 

links to Web sites referenced in OJJDP documents. Although the Office is moving away from 

printed documents, its electronic documents undergo 

the same rigorous editing and review process used 

for printed documents, ensuring that OJJDP continues to provide consistently reliable information 

to the field. 

The Office had many accomplishments in information dissemination during FY 2003 and 2004. Topping the list is the redesign of the OJJDP Web site 

and the development of two new online series of 

publications. The Office’s popular bimonthly newsletter continued to keep the field abreast of OJJDP 

programs and activities. 

These and the other activities discussed in this 

chapter make it clear that getting the word out 

remains an OJJDP priority. 

Web Site Redesign


OJJDP remains committed to providing accurate, 

timely information that supports efforts to make a 

real difference in the lives of America’s youth, and 

its Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp) is a cornerstone of that commitment. The Office has redesigned 

the Web site, giving it a fresh, contemporary look 

Annual Report 

and helping users find information faster, with 

fewer clicks. New navigational elements make using 

the site more intuitive. Information on the Web 

pages is more focused and easier to read. A new 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section provides answers about OJJDP and its activities. The 

revised calendar of events makes it possible to find 

conferences or workshops instantly. 

The heart of the redesigned Web site is its databasedriven capability, which gives users quick access to 

comprehensive information. By visiting the Topics 

page and selecting a specific topic (or subtopic), 

users can access all items related to that topic, such 

as funding opportunities, programs, events, and 

publications. Users also can search for OJJDP 

publications alphabetically, chronologically, and by 

topic, subtopic, and series. In addition, the new 

database dramatically simplifies the process of 

updating the site’s content, ensuring that visitors to 

the Web site find the most current information. The 

Web site received more than 46 million visits in FY 

2003 and an estimated 55 million visits in FY 2004. 

OJJDP’s redesigned Web site won a 2004 Award 

for Publication Excellence (APEX) in the category 

Most Improved Web and Intranet Sites. This was 

the 16th annual APEX competition, which is open 

to communicators in corporate, nonprofit, and government settings. The competition drew nearly 

5,500 entries. 

Statistical Briefing Book


The Statistical Briefing Book (SBB) section of 

OJJDP’s Web site, which presents user-friendly 

statistical answers to frequently asked questions 

about juvenile crime and victimization, is a popular 

resource for practitioners, policymakers, the media, 

and the general public. Visitors to the SBB site can 

FY 2003–2004
 53 
Annual Report 

quickly find reliable answers to a variety of questions, such as: Are juveniles responsible for as much 

violent crime as adults? Are youth safer at school or 

away from school? How often are guns involved in 

crimes by and against juveniles? How do juvenile 

arrest rates vary by state? 

Developed for OJJDP by the National Center for 

Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), Pittsburgh, PA, SBB 

was recently redesigned to include new features that 

make the section even more useful and easier to 

navigate. SBB users now have more ways to find 

information, new links to national data sets and 

other resources, and better access to online statistical publications from OJJDP. New topical sections 

answer questions about juvenile probation, juvenile 

reentry and aftercare, and juvenile justice system 

structure and processes. NCJJ and OJJDP continually update SBB, ensuring that users will find 

the latest available information. 

Bimonthly Newsletter


OJJDP News @ a Glance, a 

bimonthly newsletter now 

in its third year, continues 

to grow in popularity. The 

newsletter had 1,096 subscribers at the end of FY 

2002; as of September 

2004, it had more than 

7,000 subscribers. The 

newsletter provides up-todate notices of OJJDP 

activities, recent publications, funding opportunities, and upcoming events. 

Topics covered in recent editions include gang 

reduction programs, mentoring activities, truancy, 

substance abuse, programs for American Indian 

youth, and training and technical assistance opportunities. A cornerstone in the Office’s growing 

emphasis on electronic dissemination, the newsletter 

will convert to electronic-only dissemination by the 

end of 2004. In addition to making the newsletter 

more cost efficient, the change will mean that 

subscribers have faster access to its content. 

54 

Subscription information and past issues of the 

newsletter are available on the OJJDP Web page. 

Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse


OJJDP’s Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) 

continues to provide accessible, reliable information 

about juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, and 

child protection to the public and to juvenile justice 

practitioners. Operated through a contract with 

Aspen Systems Corporation, Rockville, MD, JJC 

produces many of OJJDP’s publications, maintains a toll-free number, responds to information 

requests, and manages the OJJDP Web site. JJC 

is a component of the National Criminal Justice 

Reference Service, which maintains a database of 

approximately 180,000 titles, 55,000 of which are 

devoted to juvenile justice topics. 

During the past 2 years, JJC distributed more than 

900,000 documents and responded to more than 

40,000 requests for information. Because OJJDP 

has placed a greater emphasis on electronic dissemination, JJC has seen a decrease in the number of 

documents ordered, indicating that its promotion of 

online dissemination is working. In addition, JJC 

has noticed an overall drop in requests for information and increased use of its Web resources, attesting to the quality and quantity of information 

available on the OJJDP Web site. 

Major JJC accomplishments in FY 2003 and 2004 

included redesigning OJJDP’s Web site and SBB 

page and promoting the “Coach a Kid in the Game 

of Life” mentoring Web page (discussed in chapter 

3). JJC also coordinates JUVJUST, OJJDP’s 

popular electronic mailing list that provides short 

notices about news from OJJDP and other youthrelated organizations. By the close of FY 2004, the 

number of JUVJUST subscribers had grown to 

more than 12,000. Working with OJJDP, JJC 

posted almost 200 JUVJUST messages during the 

past 2 years. 

For information on how to contact JJC, see page 

viii. 

FY 2003–2004 
New Publications


During FY 2003 and 2004, OJJDP developed and 

produced a number of new electronic and printed 

Fact Sheets, Bulletins, and Reports (see appendix). 

These documents, many of which have been noted 

throughout this Report, address a wide range of 

issues, including missing children, delinquency prevention, youth gangs, and tribal youth. The publications highlighted below illustrate some of OJJDP’s 

major accomplishments in this area during the past 

2 years. Unless otherwise noted, all publications are 

available on OJJDP’s Web site. 

Online Fact Sheets on Juvenile Court 

Statistics 

OJJDP publishes a series of annual Fact Sheets 

presenting statistical information about juvenile 

court cases. Beginning in 2003, the Office switched 

from print to electronic dissemination of these Fact 

Sheets to make the information available in a more 

timely fashion. The series includes an overview of 

delinquency cases and Fact Sheets on specific topics 

such as person offenses, cases waived to criminal 

court, placement of adjudicated youth, probation, 

detention, and drug offenses. 

Juvenile Justice Practices Series 

As noted in chapter 6, OJJDP launched another 

important new online resource in 2003 for juvenile justice policymakers, decisionmakers, and 

professionals who develop and administer programs 

for youth. The Juvenile Justice Practices Series of 

Bulletins distills the latest information—research 

findings, lessons learned, promising practices, useful 

tools, and organizational resources—about specific 

juvenile justice program areas. The first Bulletin in 

the series examines aftercare services for youth 

released from the juvenile justice system. The second Bulletin addresses access to legal counsel for 

juveniles. Future Bulletins in the series will discuss 

state ombudsman programs, basic system services, 

community-based alternatives, gender-specific 

policies and programs, and alternatives to suspension and expulsion from school. 

Annual Report 

I believe [electronic publication] is a better way to 

save on publishing costs. I have the opportunity 

to read your publication, and then if it relates to 

an issue that is important to my community or 

program, I can save it for future reference. Also, if 

I need to incorporate some of your information or 

documentation, I can cut and paste your information into my research. Thanks for your electronic 

email, it truly saves on time and paper. 

Department of Juvenile Justice, Florida 

Child Delinquency Bulletin Series 

OJJDP initiated a new series of Bulletins in FY 

2003 based on findings from the OJJDP-supported 

Study Group on Very Young Offenders. The Child 

Delinquency Series offers the latest information 

about child delinquency, including analyses of child 

delinquency statistics, insights into the origins of 

offending by children, and descriptions of early 

intervention programs and approaches to preventing the development of delinquent behavior by 

focusing on risk and protective factors. The four 

Bulletins released in FY 2003 are described in 

chapter 3. 

Updates of Missing Children Publications 

OJJDP recently updated three publications widely 

used in the recovery of missing and exploited children. The updated publications were distributed at 

the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony in 

May 2004 (see chapter 2). 

✦ Investigative Checklist for First Responders lists 

actions to be taken by law enforcement in the 

initial stages of a missing child investigation. This 

publication is available on the National Center 

for Missing and Exploited Children Web site 

(www.missingkids.org). 

✦ Federal Resources for Missing and Exploited Children: 

A Directory for Law Enforcement and Other Public and 

FY 2003–2004
 55 
Annual Report 

Private Agencies describes the federal services, 

programs, publications, and training sessions 

that address child sexual exploitation issues, 

child pornography, child abduction, Internet 

crime, and missing children cases. 

✦ When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide 

provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families 

should do when a child is missing. This third edition of the guide includes expanded information 

about AMBER Alert (discussed in chapter 2). 

Spanish Translations 

Committed to making its resources more readily 

accessible to the nation’s growing Hispanic population, OJJDP released Spanish-language editions 

of two publications in 2003 that provide guidance 

for parents of missing children: Cuando Su Niño 

Desaparece: Una Guía Para la Supervivencia de la Familia 

(When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide) 

and Guía de Recursos de la Familia Contra el Secuestro 

Parental Internacional (A Family Resource Guide on International Parental Kidnapping). 

Satellite Videoconferencing


Sharing information with practitioners, policymakers, and researchers via satellite videoconferencing 

saves both time and money because it allows viewers to participate in discussions, learn about new 

programs, and gather information without traveling 

to a conference site. OJJDP has sponsored satellite 

videoconferences since 1995 through a grant to 

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), Richmond, 

KY. The videoconferences usually include a panel 

discussion, a question and answer session, and 

taped documentaries. During FY 2003 and 2004, as 

noted throughout this Report, OJJDP sponsored 

several videoconferences. Topics included child 

prostitution, mentoring, tribal youth issues, and 

truancy. 

In addition, OJJDP helped Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrate a century of youth mentoring by 

broadcasting the organization’s anniversary events 

in June 2004 via satellite and cybercast from New 

York City. The broadcasts demonstrated the impact 

of effective mentoring programs and strategies. (For 

information about Big Brothers Big Sisters and the 

centennial celebration, see the May/June 2004 issue 

of OJJDP News @ a Glance or visit www.bbbsa.org.) 

Videotapes of past OJJDP satellite videoconferences can be viewed on the Juvenile Justice 

Telecommunications Assistance Project Web site 

(www.trc.eku.edu/jj/archive.html). The tapes are 

available for purchase from JJC for $15. 

56 FY 2003–2004

Annual Report 

Appendix: OJJDP Publications Produced in 

FY 2003 and FY 2004 

The following publications are available on 

OJJDP’s Web site and many are also available in 

print. Additional information on accessing publications appears at the beginning of this Report. 

Access to Counsel (Juvenile Justice Practices Series 

online Bulletin), NCJ 204063 

Aftercare Services (Juvenile Justice Practices Series 

online Bulletin), NCJ 201800 

Assessing the Mental Health Status of Youth in Juvenile 

Justice Settings (Bulletin), NCJ 202713 

Best Practices in Juvenile Accountability: Overview 

(JAIBG Series Bulletin), NCJ 184745 

Blueprints for Violence Prevention (online Report), 

NCJ 204274 

Changes to OJJDP’s Juvenile Accountability Program 

(Bulletin), NCJ 200200 

Child Delinquency: Early Intervention and Prevention 

(Child Delinquency Series Bulletin), NCJ 186162 

Community Correlates of Rural Youth Violence 

(Bulletin), NCJ 193591 

Cuando Su Niño Desaparece: Una Guía Para la Supervivencia de la Familia [Spanish translation of When 

Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, 2d edition] (Report), NCJ 178902 

Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Courts, 1999 (online Fact 

Sheet), FS–200302 

Delinquency Cases Waived to Criminal Court, 1990–1999 

(online Fact Sheet), FS–200304 

Detection and Prevalence of Substance Use Among Juvenile 

Detainees (Bulletin), NCJ 203934 

Detention in Delinquency Cases, 1990–1999 (online Fact 

Sheet), FS–200307 

Disproportionate Minority Confinement: 2002 Update 

(Summary), NCJ 201240 

Drug Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 1990–1999 

(online Fact Sheet), FS–200308 

Explanations for the Decline in Child Sexual Abuse Cases 

(Crimes Against Children Series Bulletin), NCJ 

199298 

Guía de Recursos de la Familia Contra el Secuestro 

Parental Internacional [Spanish translation of A Family Resource Guide on International Parental Kidnapping] 

(Report), NCJ 199832 

Highlights of the 2001 National Youth Gang Survey 

(Fact Sheet), FS–200301 

Highlights of the 2002 National Youth Gang Survey 

(Fact Sheet), FS–200401 

How Families and Communities Influence Youth 

Victimization (Bulletin), NCJ 201629 

Juvenile Arrests 2000 (Bulletin), NCJ 191729 

Juvenile Arrests 2001 (Bulletin), NCJ 201370 

Juvenile Arrests 2002 (Bulletin), NCJ 204608 

Juvenile Court Placement of Adjudicated Youth, 1990–1999 

(online Fact Sheet), FS–200305 

Juvenile Court Statistics 1998 (Report), NCJ 193696 

Juvenile Court Statistics 1999 (online Report), 

NCJ 201241 

Juvenile Delinquency Probation Caseload, 1990–1999 

(online Fact Sheet), FS–200306 

Juvenile Justice, Volume IX, Number 1 (Journal), 

NCJ 203555 

FY 2003–2004
 57 
Annual Report 

Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2000: Selected Findings (National Report Series Bulletin), NCJ 196595 


Juvenile Suicides, 1981–1998 (Youth Violence Re­


search Series Bulletin), NCJ 196978


Juveniles in Corrections (National Report Series Bul­


letin), NCJ 202885 


Juveniles in Court (National Report Series Bulletin),


NCJ 195420 


Latest Resources From OJJDP (Catalog), BC 000115 

OJJDP Annual Report 2001 (Report), NCJ 194819 

OJJDP Annual Report 2002 (Report), NCJ 202038 

OJJDP Formula Grants Program Overview (Fact 

Sheet), FS–200402 

OJJDP News @ a Glance (Newsletter) 

November/December 2002, Vol. I, No. 6,


NCJ 197613


January/February 2003, Vol. II, No. 1, 


NCJ 198473


March/April 2003, Vol. II, No. 2, NCJ 199269


May/June 2003, Vol. II, No. 3, NCJ 199996


July/August 2003, Vol. II, No. 4, NCJ 201242


September/October 2003, Vol. II, No. 5, 


NCJ 201826


November/December 2003, Vol. II, No. 6, 


NCJ 202802


January/February 2004, Vol. III, No. 1, 


NCJ 203557


March/April 2004, Vol. III, No. 2, NCJ 204171


May/June 2004, Vol. III, No. 3, NCJ 205365


July/August 2004, Vol. III, No. 4, NCJ 205976


September/October 2004, Vol. III, No. 5, 

NCJ 206629 

OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Initiatives (Bulletin), 

NCJ 193763 

Person Offenses in Juvenile Court, 1990–1999 (online 

Fact Sheet), FS–200303 

Prevalence and Development of Child Delinquency (Child 

Delinquency Series Bulletin), NCJ 193411 

Prostitution of Juveniles: Patterns From NIBRS (Crimes 

Against Children Series Bulletin), NCJ 203946 

Race as a Factor in Juvenile Arrests (Bulletin), 

NCJ 189180 

Risk and Protective Factors of Child Delinquency (Child 

Delinquency Series Bulletin), NCJ 193409 

Successful Program Implementation: Lessons From 

Blueprints (Bulletin), NCJ 204273 

Title V Community Prevention Grants Program: 2001 

Report to Congress (Report), NCJ 198482 

Title V Community Prevention Grants Program: 2002 

Report to Congress (Report), NCJ 202019 

Treatment, Services, and Intervention Programs for Child 

Delinquents (Child Delinquency Series Bulletin), 

NCJ 193410 

Trends in Juvenile Violent Offending: An Analysis of 

Victim Survey Data (Bulletin), NCJ 191052 

Victims of Violent Juvenile Crime (Bulletin), 

NCJ 201628 

Violent Victimization as a Risk Factor for Violent Offending Among Juveniles (Bulletin), NCJ 195737 

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide 

[3d edition] (Report), NCJ 204958 

Youth Gangs in Indian Country (Youth Gang Series 

Bulletin), NCJ 202714 

58 FY 2003–2004