“The United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): National Leadership in Juvenile Justice Reform, Coordination, and Resources to prevent and respond to Juvenile Delinquency and Victimization”- a Model to carry abroad?

The United States Congress enacted the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act (Pub. L. No. 93-415, 42 U.S.C. § 5601 et seq.) in 1974. This landmark legislation established the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). It 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 contact with the juvenile justice system should be rare, fair, and beneficial to them:
- Engage youth and families
- Ensure reforms take a developmental approach. Young people are not “small adults.”
- Address children’s exposure to trauma early.
- Involve law enforcement
- Address disproportionate minority contact (DMC) and the
- school-to-prison pipeline.
- Embrace philanthropy.
- Build confidence in the juvenile justice system.