OJJDP held its first national conference in 1996, and response was so positive that the Office held another one in 1998. Recognizing that today's youth change and develop at a very rapid pace and that the juvenile justice field must be prepared to keep up with this pace and the new issues facing youth, OJJDP designated Juvenile Justice: Focus on the Future as the theme of the second conference, which was held in Washington, DC, December 10-12, 1998. The goal of the second conference was to assess current topics in juvenile justice and address developing issues that will undoubtedly affect juvenile justice in the future. OJJDP designed the conference around seven themes: protecting children, youth in action, community responses to juvenile crime and victimization, promising and effective interventions, responding to today's offenders, emerging issues and innovative programs, and strengthening the juvenile justice system in the 21st century. The conference included 42 workshops, 5 plenary sessions, and a satellite videoconference. Sessions included a youth forum featuring the Attorney General and youth participants. More than 1,700 participants, double the number at the 1996 conference, attended the 2½-day event. Attendees included personnel from State juvenile justice agencies, leading researchers in the field, judges, State and local policymakers, practitioners, members of public interest groups, and program administrators and directors. During the conference, OJJDP Administrator Shay Bilchik presented awards to 14 individuals in recognition of their work in the juvenile justice field.

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OJJDP Annual Report 1998	October 1999