WASHINGTON (LOOTPRESS) – The Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention today announced that it has awarded more than $221 million in grant funding to enhance state and local juvenile justice systems, provide gang prevention and intervention services, support mentoring and reentry services for youth and families, and help states comply with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Grant funding also supports programs for American Indian and Alaska Native youth.
“The long-term health and safety of America’s communities depend heavily on the support and guidance we give our young people,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “Through mentoring programs, drug and mental health treatment, gang and violence prevention activities, and measures aimed at strengthening our juvenile justice system, the Office of Justice Programs is working hard to instill in our youth a powerful sense of personal responsibility, a goal that is critical in securing the future prosperity and civic integrity of our nation.”
OJJDP awarded more than 225 grants to state, local and tribal jurisdictions, research and academic institutions, and other public and private organizations across the United States.
“We serve our young people best when we hold them accountable for their behavior and when we give them the tools to overcome both the setbacks they have already encountered and the challenges that lie before them,” said OJJDP Administrator Caren Harp. “A solid network of services and support, bolstered by an effective juvenile justice system, is key to helping system-involved youth live up to their potential and become productive members of society. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will continue to do its part to put America’s kids on a path to a bright future.”
Here are some of the ways the more than $221 million in FY2020 funding will enhance state and local juvenile justice systems:
- $84.9 million will fund mentoring programs and services for youth;
- $57.9 million will provide assistance to states’ juvenile justice systems and staffs;
- $33.5 million will fund juvenile and family drug courts and provide services to youth impacted by the opioid crisis;
- $11.2 million will supplement reentry services for juveniles and parents of minors;
- $11.1 million will support gang prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts;
- $7.2 million will support American Indian and Alaska Native youth programs and services;
- $4.9 million will fund services for justice-involved youth with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders; and
- $1.8 million will support juvenile indigent defense.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, amounts to be awarded, and the jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit here.
Additional information about Fiscal Year 2020 grant awards made by the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Awards Data webpage.
