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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOVC
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 1997202/307-0703

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WORKS TO AID VICTIMS OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) today awarded a $151,802 grant to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) to develop and test a training and technical assistance program to assist juvenile court personnel and probation staff who serve the needs of victims of juvenile offenders.

"We know that many victims of juvenile crime don't receive the same level of services as do other victims," said OVC Director Aileen Adams. "OVC recently held regional forums and learned that juvenile court personnel and probation staff need information on victim-related issues. This grant will help us meet that challenge."

NCJFCJ will survey juvenile courts and probation departments nationwide to gather information about the types and level of services offered to victims and the availability of victim-related training and information provided to juvenile court personnel, including judges and magistrates, court administrators, court clerks, probation staff and victim witness assistance staff. NCJFCJ also will identify promising practices to assist victims, as well as state juvenile codes that mandate specific rights for victims in juvenile courts.

An advisory committee of juvenile court personnel representatives will guide the development of the training curriculum, which will include victims' legal and procedural rights, victim impact statements and restitution orders.

Once the training and technical assistance program is developed, the training curriculum will be pilot tested in one juvenile court jurisdiction, and technical assistance will be provided to three juvenile courts. Informational pamphlets developed on topics related to victims rights and services in the juvenile court process will be provided to 20 juvenile courts. A follow-up evaluation of the program and testing process will be conducted. If the project is successful in its first year, on-site training and technical assistance will be provided to a number of juvenile court jurisdictions. The selection process is to be determined.

OVC is the federal government's chief advocate for crime victims and their families. To learn more about OVC, its programs and resources, see the World Wide Web site at https://ojp.gov/ovc/ or the OJP home page at https://ojp.gov. Or, call the OVC Resource Center at 800/627-6872.

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OVC97071

After hours, contact Linda Mansour on 202/616-3534