Advancing Juvenile Justice Reform Through OJJDP Funding
Author: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
Published: 2014/09/24 - Updated: 2026/05/17
Publication Type: Reports & Proceedings
Category Topic: Laws and Rights - Related Publications
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This report details a renewed private-public partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which together committed $2 million to advance juvenile justice reform across the country. Drawing on official statements from federal administrators and program directors, the publication outlines four funded initiatives addressing disproportionate minority contact, risk assessment and behavioral health screening, mental health training for correctional and detention staff, and coordinated services for dual status youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Its authority comes from the participating agencies and grantee organizations - including the Center for Children's Law and Policy, the National Youth Screening and Assessment Project at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, and the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice - and the information is particularly relevant for families, advocates, and practitioners working with youth who have mental health conditions, developmental disabilities, or other support needs that intersect with the justice system - Disabled World (DW).
- Topic Definition: Juvenile Justice Reform
Juvenile justice reform refers to the ongoing effort to restructure the laws, policies, procedures, and institutional practices that govern how minors are treated when they come into contact with the legal system. It emphasizes developmentally appropriate responses that account for adolescent brain development, mental health needs, and family circumstances, while seeking to reduce racial and ethnic disparities, limit out-of-home placements, and improve coordination between juvenile justice agencies and related systems such as child welfare, education, and behavioral health services. The goal is a fairer, more effective system that holds young people accountable while supporting rehabilitation and long-term well-being.
Introduction
Advancing American Juvenile Justice Reform
In a renewed private-public partnership, the Office of Justice Programs' Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are jointly providing $2 million to advance juvenile justice reform.
"Every youth who enters the juvenile justice system deserves to be treated fairly and to receive the help he or she needs," said OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee. "Together, our Office and the MacArthur Foundation are working with states and communities to build a better future for youth."
OJJDP and the MacArthur Foundation will each provide two years of funding at $125,000 per year to four organizations - the Center for Children's Law and Policy; the National Youth Screening and Assessment Project at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice at Policy Research, Inc.; and the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice - to support innovative reforms in treatment and services for youth.
Through this partnership, established in 2011, OJJDP and MacArthur will support training and technical assistance for states and local governments to meet the mental health needs of system-involved youth, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and promote coordination and integration for youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Main Content
Funding Will Support the Following Projects
Disproportionate Minority Contact Reduction
Employing a collaborative, data-driven approach to improve equity and enhance outcomes for youth of color who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. The Center for Children's Law and Policy (CCLP) will provide technical assistance and project oversight.
Risk Assessment and Behavioral Health Screening
Using evidence-based tools for effective case planning to achieve reductions in out-of-home placements and delinquency. The National Youth Screening and Assessment Project (NYSAP) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School will provide technical assistance, research and project oversight.
Mental Health Training for Juvenile Justice
Providing comprehensive adolescent development and mental health training to juvenile correctional and detention staff to improve staff knowledge, understanding and ability to respond to youth with mental health needs. The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice at Policy Research, Inc., will provide technical assistance and project oversight.
Dual Status Youth Technical Assistance Initiative
Designing and implementing multi-system responses to improve outcomes for youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and help systems work more effectively and efficiently together. Technical assistance utilizing a proven framework for system coordination and integration will be provided by the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, led by Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps.
"This work will help secure and build on important developmentally-appropriate advances in juvenile justice reform accomplished through the Models for Change initiative," said Laurie Garduque, MacArthur's Director of Justice Reform. "This work builds on innovations proven effective in more than 35 states and is critical to continuing the momentum for improving outcomes for youth in contact with the law."
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Provides national leadership, coordination and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable and provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families.
The MacArthur Foundation
Supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology affects children and society.
Models for Change
Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice supports rational, fair, effective and developmentally appropriate responses that hold justice-involved youth accountable while improving outcomes for young people and communities. An initiative of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, it provides expertise and tools to advance reform of juvenile justice systems nationwide. Models for Change is grounded in 20 years of research, practice, and reform efforts in more than 35 states and in collaboration with federal agencies. The Models for Change Resource Center Partnership provides practitioners and policymakers with technical assistance, trainings, tools, and resources, and is anchored by four national Resource Centers focused on key areas of reform: mental health, dual status youth, status offenses, and juvenile defense. For more information about Models for Change lessons, tools, research and accomplishments.
Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The continued investment in evidence-based screening, mental health training, and cross-system coordination reflects a growing recognition that many young people who come into contact with the justice system are also living with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, or trauma-related needs that traditional punitive approaches fail to address. For young people with disabilities in particular, the focus on developmentally appropriate responses and reducing racial and ethnic disparities is an important step toward outcomes that protect public safety while preserving the dignity and future prospects of the youth involved - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs and published on 2014/09/24, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.