Chapter 10
Looking Ahead

As FY 2002 came to a close, OJJDP faced several challenges in planning for the next fiscal year. These challenges included a delay in FY 2003 funding availability and a legislative restructuring of program activities.

The 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act (DOJ reauthorization), signed into law on November 2, 2002, while supporting the established mission of OJJDP, introduced important changes that streamline the Office's operations and bring a sharper focus to its role. The provisions of the reauthorization originally were to take effect in FY 2003, but a subsequent appropriations act postponed the effective date to FY 2004 (which begins on October 1, 2003). Although OJJDP was able to establish priorities for FY 2003, it was not able to begin program planning for FY 2003 until a bill allocating funding for the Office was signed into law in February 2003.

This chapter provides a brief overview of the agency's program priorities and planning for 2003. It also summarizes the program changes mandated by the DOJ reauthorization.

OJJDP Priorities for FY 2003

Children are the nation's greatest resource, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to become a productive member of society is at the heart of OJJDP's mission. Reflecting a renewed focus on children who are most at risk of missing out on that opportunity, OJJDP established the following four program priorities for FY 2003:

• Prostitution of children. OJJDP will collaborate with other agencies and the law enforcement and social services communities to address this problem. As a first step, the agency held a national summit on child prostitution in December 2002.
  
  
• Truancy. The effects of truancy are pervasive. The problem takes its toll not only on students (who are more likely to fall behind in school, drop out, and become involved with the juvenile justice system), but also on schools and communities. Building on lessons learned at seven truancy reduction demonstration sites, OJJDP will work to ensure that communities have access to strategies that work.
  
  
• Disproportionate minority contact (DMC). The 2002 reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act broadened the concept of disproportionate minority confinement to address the disproportionate numbers of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system at any point—from arrest to reentry. Recognizing that addressing DMC will require long-term coordinated efforts at the federal, state, and local levels, OJJDP will continue to support research and targeted training and technical assistance to help states and communities meet the challenges of DMC.
  
  
• Tribal youth assistance. Recognizing the unique needs of tribal communities, OJJDP will continue its direct support of delinquency prevention and juvenile justice projects that originate with the tribes themselves. These projects incorporate indigenous customs and draw on tribal strengths to help youth live up to their potential.

FY 2003 Funding for OJJDP Programs

The new DOJ reauthorization restructured much of OJJDP's funding activity, consolidating several previously independent programs and introducing a number of other significant changes. OJJDP's funding situation for FY 2003 (which began October 1, 2002) was complicated by a combination of this restructuring and issues related to the continuing resolution process that governed spending by federal agencies until Congress enacted an appropriations bill. Only after February 20, 2003, when President Bush signed into law a bill that appropriated operating funds through the remainder of FY 2003, could OJJDP begin to publish program solicitation notices in the Federal Register and announcements on the OJJDP Web site. Programs for FY 2003 will be funded as they existed prior to the November DOJ reauthorization, and the provisions of the reauthorization will not take effect until FY 2004 (October 1, 2003).

OJJDP Program Restructuring

The DOJ reauthorization restructured and consolidated several OJJDP programs. The major program changes are summarized below.

Program consolidation. The JJDP Act of 2002, which is part of the DOJ reauthorization, consolidates seven previously independent juvenile justice programs of the JJDP Act of 1974 into a single prevention block grant. It repeals the following parts of Title II of the JJDP Act: Part C (National Programs), Part D (Gangs), Part E (State Challenge Activities), Part F (Treatment of Juvenile Offenders Who Are Victims of Child Abuse or Neglect), Part G (Mentoring), Part H (Boot Camps), and the first subpart of Part I (White House Conference on Juvenile Justice). In their place, it creates a new Part C that establishes the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant Program, under which states and Indian tribes may receive block grants to carry out the general purposes of the repealed programs.

Research, training, technical assistance, demonstration, and information dissemination. The new JJDP Act further amends Title II by creating a new Part D that authorizes research, training, technical assistance, and information dissemination regarding juvenile justice matters. The Act also adds a new Part E that authorizes awards of grants for developing, testing, and demonstrating new initiatives and programs for the prevention, control, and reduction of juvenile delinquency.

Title V Community Delinquency Prevention. The new JJDP Act reauthorizes the Title V Community Prevention Grants Program, expands its purpose areas, and creates a new reporting requirement on the effectiveness of funded programs.

Juvenile Accountability Block Grants. The reauthorization also revises the purpose areas, reporting and monitoring requirements, and other aspects of the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) program, which will be called the Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) program.