NCJ Number
82086
Date Published
1981
Length
213 pages
Annotation
Testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice speaks to the Justice Department's proposal to eliminate the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Abstract
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), created by the Juvenile Justice Act of 1974 and reauthorized with overwhelming congressional support in 1980, was designed to provide Federal leadership and assistance to States and localities in preventing delinquency. The primary focus has been on serious youth crime. The witness representing the Department of Justice acknowledges the significant accomplishments of the OJJDP in helping States and localities to upgrade their juvenile justice systems and develop programs that can help prevent and rehabilitate delinquency; however, the Justice Department with support from the Administration believes a sufficient foundation has been laid to permit States and localities to assume the responsibility for funding of juvenile justice programs, albeit with the option to use Federal Health and Human Service block grants to assist in this endeavor if they so choose. Witnesses opposing the elimination of OJJDP argue that it is the only Federal agency committed to research and support bearing upon the serious problem of juvenile delinquency. State and local criminal justice officials testifying generally do not believe that States and localities will be able to maintain the gains already made in juvenile justice under the proposed Federal cuts, not to mention expanding their efforts. Appended are correspondence and additional statements.