NCJ Number
231595
Date Published
January 2009
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Recommendations are outlined for the reform of the Nation's juvenile justice system through the 2009 reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).
Abstract
With the reauthorization of the JJDPA due in 2009, three recommendations are outlined to strengthen and improve the Nation's juvenile justice system in its approach to adolescent crime. The first recommendation is for States to restore the capacity of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to serve as a national incubator and catalyst for improving juvenile justice policies and practices. The second recommendation focuses energy and resources of OJJDP and other Federal agencies on crucial and pervasive shortcomings in juvenile justice practice. Six priority focuses within this recommendation are outlined and discussed. The third and final recommendation focuses on improving the juvenile justice workforce in the areas of recruiting, training, and retaining juvenile justice workers.