Introduction

A recently enacted federal law restructures the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) funding activity, introducing a number of significant changes that take effect in fiscal year 2004 (beginning October 1, 2003). Among these changes are new provisions for the funding of juvenile offender accountability programs. The Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) program will be known as the Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) program, and several program elements have been revised.¹

The underlying premise of juvenile accountability programming is that young people who violate the law should be held accountable for their offenses through the swift, consistent application of sanctions that are proportionate to the offenses—both as a matter of basic justice and as a way to combat delinquency and improve the quality of life in the nation’s communities. The program’s goal is to reduce juvenile offending through accountability-based initiatives focused on both the offender and the juvenile justice system.

In the transition from JAIBG to JABG, the underlying premise remains the same. The transition is a matter of expanding purpose areas, adjusting funding levels, and refining processes for determining eligibility, allocating funds, and monitoring activities.

This Bulletin provides an overview of the JABG program, focusing on new provisions. It compares selected JABG and JAIBG program elements, answers frequently asked questions, and identifies sources of additional information.

Changes to OJJDP’s Juvenile Accountability Program	OJJDP Bulletin • June 2003