Law Enforcement Listening Session

• NCJ Number: 250687
• Date Published: July 2011
• Length: 46 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Program/Project Description; Instructional Material; Conference Material

Annotation

This is the summary report of a "listening session" sponsored by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which was held on April 18-19, 2011, in Washington, DC, and was attended by 26 law enforcement executives and other juvenile justice stakeholders (44 invitations were issued) for the purpose of exchanging information needed to assist OJJDP in developing a strategic framework in the areas of policy, funding, training, and technical assistance for those in the field.

Abstract

A "statement of purpose" was presented by Jeffrey Stowikowski, Acting Administrator of OJJDP. He explained the purpose and focus of the listening session to be "prevention and how to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system." He emphasized the need to develop a holistic perspective, starting with law enforcement, which is the entry point into the juvenile justice system. The listening session ended with each participant offering final remarks about what they heard, learned, or experienced during the 2 days of the conference. Some noted that hearing various perspectives and strategies from law enforcement (LE) leaders in other jurisdictions was beneficial. Others emphasized the importance of OJJDP's sharing information about evidence-based programs for juveniles and the research findings of OJJDP-funded research. Other participant comments focused on the importance of warning signs and "red flags" for early intervention with youth at risk for problem behaviors; the importance of prioritizing LE juvenile policies under budget cuts; and the value of reports on various jurisdictions' experiences in implementing and researching outcomes for various evidence-based juvenile programs. The docket for the listening session is provided.