Blog: Funding

(Shrinking) Federal Investments in Juvenile Justice Make a Difference -- and How You Can Help

juvenile-justice-reform_Uncle-SamFederal funding for juvenile justice has been critical in shaping juvenile justice policy and advancing juvenile justice reform in accord with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
And anyone working in the field of juvenile justice knows that federal funds have been cut in the last few years. But it wasn't until I saw "Safeguarding the Future: Strategic Investments to Secure the Safety of America’s Youth, Families and Communities," a new 4-page publication from the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), that I realized just how deeply federal assistance had been slashed:

Since FY 2002, federal investments in programs that prevent and reduce delinquency have decreased by 50%. Over that same period, federal spending on policing, prosecution and incarceration has increased by more than 60%.

Unsurprisingly, states are feeling the effects, particularly in a time when local resources are scarce to make up the difference. CJJ points out that it's critical to invest in programs that address and prevent delinquency, and that doing so pays off later on. In fact, CJJ puts a number on it:

UPDATE: OJJDP Second Chance Act Grants and June 27 Webinar for Applicants

juvenile-reentry_handwritten-note-I-want-a-second-chance[NOTE: The date and time of the webinar have been changed to June 27th at 2 p.m. EST. -Ed.]
Via the National Reentry Resource Center:

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) recently released the solicitation for Second Chance Act grant applications to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for juvenile reentry planning and demonstration projects (Section 101 of Public Law 110-199). This funding is available to help jurisdictions plan and implement programs and strategies to reduce recidivism and ensure safe and successful reentry of juveniles released from prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities back to the community.
The deadline for submitting an application is July 11, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
To download the solicitation, click here
To help potential applicants respond to this solicitation, the National Reentry Resource Center will hold a free webinar on Monday, June 20th at 3:00 p.m. ET. June 27th at 2:00 p.m. EST. Representatives from OJJDP will explain the details of the solicitation and answer questions from applicants. To register for the webinar, click here.

Grant: OJJDP Seeks T.A. Provider for Program Addressing Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Minors

juvenile-justice-system-teen-girl-distressFrom JUVJUST:

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has released the solicitation, "Technical Assistance Program To Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation/Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking.” The solicitation calls for proposals that provide technical assistance to OJJDP grantees and other organizations addressing commercial sexual exploitation and domestic minor sex trafficking of girls and boys.

Applicants must register and submit their proposals by July 5, 2011. 

From the solicitation:

This program will support an organization and/or a consortium of organizations to provide technical assistance to OJJDP grantees and other organizations addressing commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) or domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) of girls and boys. The program will offer education and training, expert consultations, peer-to-peer networking opportunities, resources, and other tailored assistance to effectively respond to diverse communities addressing the sexual victimization of girls and boys.

UPDATED and Still URGENT: Support SAMHSA in Making Teens a Priority in Block Grants

adolescent-substance-abuse-treatment_megaphoneIf you care about adolescent substance abuse treatment (and mental health treatment), this is really important.
As I posted recently, SAMHSA is proposing big changes to its mental health and alcohol and drug treatment block grants. They want your comments by this Friday, June 3, 2011 June 9, 2011.
Ho-hum, right?
Far from it. We need you and everyone you know to submit comments to support SAMHSA's inclusion of adolescents/youth as a target population by Friday (see below for a draft message you can use or adapt).

>>Submit your email comments to SAMHSA the easy way, using this action alert from sparkaction.

OJJDP Funding 2011: Family Drug Courts, Juvenile Probation Census

juvenile-justice-system_money-prismThe Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the following funding opportunities:

  • Family Drug Court Programs - The Family Drug Courts Program builds the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government, and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments to either implement new drug courts or enhance pre-existing drug courts for individuals with substance abuse disorders or substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders including histories of trauma, involved with the family dependency court as a result of child abuse, neglect, and other parenting issues.
    Deadline June 20, 2011
  • National Juvenile Probation Census Project - This program supports the implementation and ongoing development and maintenance of two complementary national data collection programs that make up OJJDP’s National Juvenile Probation Census Project (NJPCP): the Census of Juvenile Probation Supervision Offices (CJPSO) and the Census of Juveniles on Probation (CJP).
    Deadline: June 29, 2011

>>More Information

Obama Administration Drops Controversial Juvenile Justice Funding Overhaul

Recently, we posted about the Obama administration's plan to overhaul juvenile justice funding given to states. While the funding plan would have eliminated juvenile justice earmarks (if I remember correctly), it also would have made almost all of the remaining monies available only on a competitive basis.
Further, states would only be eligible to apply for the funds if they were in compliance with the core provisions of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) -- things like keeping status offenders out of the justice system, keeping teens in lock up out of sight and sound of adult offenders, and making serious efforts to address disproportionate minority contact.  (This was a big change, as states have historically received federal funding to help them comply with the JJDPA. Critics have worried that the amount of funding has gotten small enough that states might soon opt out of the JJDPA in large numbers.) 
The funding proposal came under heavy fire from the Justice Policy Institute, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, and the Campaign for Youth Justice - all of whom feared the proposal weakened juvenlie justice reform efforts. Another concern was that the administration's adoption of a "Race to the Top" funding competition model was being applied to the bulk of juvenile justice funds, whereas it was used for approxiomately 1% of federal education dollars. 
This morning, I woke up to news from @heatherkellyphd and from the National Council on Crime & Deliquency that the Obama administration had heard the criticisms, and reversed course.  Here's the official word, via JUVJUST:  

FY 2011 Funding Opportunities from OJJDP

juvenile-justice-system-money-close-upThe Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the following funding opportunities:
1. Community-Based Violence Prevention Demonstration Program - deadline May 23, 2011
2. Mentoring for Youth with Disabilities Initiative -- deadline May 16, 2011
3. State Juvenile Justice Formula and Block Grants Training and Technical Assistance Program -- deadline May 16, 2011
Resources:
To obtain further information about the above and other current OJJDP solicitations, including eligibility criteria and application deadlines, visit http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/FundingList.asp.
 

UPDATED: Illinois to Cut All Alcohol and Drug Treatment Spending - Will Other States Follow?

adolesxcent-substance-abuse-treatment_bad-news-graffittiAs of March 15, the state of Illinois is cutting its $54 million budget for alcohol and drug treatment and prevention services to zero (full disclosure: I wrote the news summary linked to here).
That's right: zero. 
According to providers, that means many of them will shut down. 
What's left, without state money? According to provider representatives, about 80 percent of their clients (or about 55,000 people) get treatment funded by the state, leaving 20 percent of their clients who are covered by Medicaid -- -- women only, though. The state will reportedly be cutting the amounts it reimburses for Medicaid services by six percent.
What's not precisely clear from news reports is the impact on youth treatment. Prevention services serving about 230,000 youth a year are definitely gone, but children's treatment can be covered by Medicaid - I'm not sure how that's handled in Illinois. However, in my experience, most treatment agencies rely on the volume of their adult treatment programs to support their youth treatment programs. Without the mix, I would guess that many youth programs -- even those billing Medicaid -- might not survive.  

Justice for an Awful Juvenile Court Judge, and More: Roundup

Funding: Train Juveniles in the Justice System for Tech Careers

positive-youth-development_wall-etching-learnYou can now apply to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for a grant under the Second Chance Act to "establish programs to train individuals in prisons, jails, or juvenile residential facilities for technology-based jobs and careers during the three-year period before their release." (It's not just for juveniles - it's for adults, too.) 
Webinar: The National Reentry Resource Center will hold a webinar for interesed applicants January 19, 2011 at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST. >>Register here.
Deadline to Apply: March 3, 2011.

Three More Communities Implement the Reclaiming Futures Model

juvenile-justice-reform_money-smartiesThree more communities will be implementing the Reclaiming Futures model, thanks to $4.1  million in funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). That brings the number of Reclaiming Futures communities to 29 in 17 states.
Each of the grantees will be implementing the model over four years in a juvenile drug court, with the aim of reducing substance abuse among youth in the juvenile justice system:

Congratulations! We look forward to working with them.
>>Read the complete news release, with statements from SAMHSA, OJJDP, RWJF.
 

Roundup: Gay Teens Face Harsher Punishments

  • juvenile-justice-system_corrections-spending-graphicGrowth in Corrections Spending 1987-2007 Dwarfed Spending on Higher Ed (see image at right) - Curious about where your state stands? Follow the link and check the graph.  It would be interesting to see the same data comparing spending on the juvenile justice system with middle- and high-school spending.  (Hat tip to Jim Carlton.) 
  • Gay Teens Are Punished More Heavily in School and in Juvenile Court - From The New York Times: A national study of 15,000 middle school and high school teens published in Pediatrics found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens are more likely to be expelled from school than their straight peers, and more likely to be stopped, arrested, and adjudicated.  And "it's not because they're misbehaving more," says the study's lead author, Kathryn Himmelstein. (Hat tip to Dan Merrigan.)

Roundup: BJS to Study Teens Transferred into Adult Justice System -- and More

The JPI also recommended that juvenile justice funds be directed at "educational and community-based youth programming" and that substance abuse and mental health treatment services be funded through public health agencies, and not through the justice system: "By reaching people before they come in contact with the justice system, we can reduce future justice involvement and related costs, and reduce the chances that someone will have to deal with the collateral consequences of having a criminal record."

Funding: YouthBuild Grants Available

positive-youth-development_smarties-with-dollar-signsNow's your chance to apply for a 2011 YouthBuild grant from the Department of Labor. The grant announcement describes YouthBuild this way:

[YouthBuild is] a youth development program that combines education, career training, and community service. In YouthBuild, out-of-school youth ages 16-24 obtain high school diplomas or GEDs while getting certified in construction and building low-cost housing for families in their communities.  

Grant amounts are expected to range between $700,000 and $1.1 million for up to three years of funding (two years of program operations, with one year of follow-up). But applicants will need to have formed (or work with an existing) collaborative that includes education/training, workforce investment, juvenile justice, and faith-based and community partners. Applications are due December 3, 2010.
 
More info: see the YouthBuild notice in The Federal Register.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment - SAMHSA Wants Your Input on its Eight Strategies

adolescent-substance-abuse-treatment_SAMHSA-strategic-plan-coverI mentioned this in last week's roundup of news on the juvenile justice system and adolescent substance abuse treatment, but this deserves to be highlighted because it will guide the agency's work and funding priorities for years to come:
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) plans to organize its work into eight strategic initiatives, and you have the chance to give your own input (and vote on the merit of others' ideas) until October 22, 2010.  Here's the eight areas:

Roundup: Federal Grant Awards Announced

juvenile-justice-system_news-signJuvenile Justice System News

Turns out I should've linked to John Kelly's column in Youth Today, where he laid out a very long list of recent grant awards in the juvenile justice arena (subscription required) from the OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Among other things, he reported on awards for a multi-state mentoring initiative, violence prevention, gang prevention, family drug courts, and more.

Juvenile Justice Budget in Freefall? Check Out this Webinar

juvenile-justice-system_man-falling-off-buildingIs Your Juvenile Justice System Budget in Freefall?

Do you manage a local or state juvenile justice agency? How can you manage a dwindling budget and still pursue effective public safety? 
Check out this webinar from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), "Corrections Budgets in Free Fall – Time for Action." (Hat tip to Lore Joplin.)
According to the web site, the webinar will be held September 22, 2010, at 8 am PST / 9am MST / 10 am CST / 11 am EST. However, the listing in the NIC Training Catalog says it'll be held at 9am GMT -0700, which is an hour later. I've emailed for clarification and will update when I hear back.

Roundup: America Behind Bars, and More

Last year, we posted about a hugely important study by the Center for Court Innovation. In it, young people reported that they did not receive a clear explanation of the juvenile justice system when they entered. Nor did they -- or their parents and guardians -- learn how their actions affected what happens in juvenile court
Our Reclaiming Futures site in Orange/Chatham Counties, North Carolina is trying to change this and created the video above for parents/guardians of youth entering juvenile court. Congratulations!  (They're also working on a handbook for youth; I'll share it when it's available.)
Has your jurisdiction done something similar? Leave a comment or drop me an email and we'll be glad to post it!

Juvenile Drug Courts & Reclaiming Futures -- Evaluation Grant Opportunity

juvenile-drug-courts_abstract-shapesAre you a researcher with a background or interest in juvenile drug courts? Know someone who fits the bill?
Then check out a new grant solicitation from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to evaluate juvenile drug courts implemented with the Reclaiming Futures model. These sites have also been funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
This goal of this three-year grant is "to conduct an independent evaluation of the combined effects of the two interventions to determine what system-level changes may result in increased efficiencies and cost effectiveness."
Objectives(as listed in the solicitation):

  1. Assess the operations of juvenile drug courts/Reclaiming Futures model using established indices for performance, efficiencies, and cost effectiveness.
  2. Improve the empirical knowledge base about juvenile drug courts and the Reclaiming Futures model.
  3. Analyze the efficacy of combined efforts of juvenile drug courts and the Reclaiming Futures model.
  4. Conduct case studies using administrative, collaboration, and quality indices and the sixteen (16) key elements of juvenile drug courts.
  5. Evaluate the potential for replication of these models

Application deadline is August 20, 2010.

How to Get Teens to Engage in Treatment, and More: Bonus Roundup

adolescent-substance-abuse-treatment_news-old-TV
Last week, I received too many links and resources to put in last week's roundup of links related to the juvenile justice system and adolescent substance abuse treatment.
So here's a bonus roundup - there's something here for everyone!
 
Mentoring At-Risk Teens

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