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On October 22–24, 2007, OJJDP's State Relations and Assistance Division (SRAD) held a comprehensive training conference in Denver, CO. The conference, entitled "Creating A Shared Vision for Juvenile Justice," provided critical training information for State Juvenile Justice Specialists, Title V Coordinators, Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) Coordinators, State Advisory Group (SAG) members, SAG youth members, and other juvenile justice program staff.

Sessions were held on topics such as the following:

• Concrete ways to help SAGs operate more efficiently and effectively.
• Key components of an effective request for proposal (RFP).
• The importance of strategic planning as it relates to a State's 3-year plan.
• Practical training on faith-based grantees (regulations and restrictions on use of funds).

In addition, to assist JABG and Title V Coordinators, workshops pertinent to the various grant programs were held. These included sessions on:

• A practical application of the link between child welfare and juvenile justice.
• An overview of the Office of Civil Rights.
• An overview of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and the creation of the Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Office within the Office of Justice Programs.
• The Girls Study Group: Working with Juvenile Female Offenders.

Finally, this year's training featured a separate SAG youth member track to enable SAG youth to network with other youth members throughout the Nation. This track highlighted different ways youth and adults are partnering to further SAG initiatives and emphasized leadership development. It culminated with a report to the larger group about the action plans youth have developed over the course of the training.

Additional Federal Participation

This year, several other Federal offices participated in workshops discussing key topics such as workforce development (the U.S. Department of Labor) and runaway and homeless youth (the Administration for Children and Families).

The agenda also featured a discussion on the implementation of the Shared Youth Vision Initiative. This initiative was created in response to the 2003 White House Task Force Report on Disadvantaged Youth by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Justice, who formed a Federal partnership focused on serving the neediest youth. The initiative calls upon the youth service systems at all levels to work collaboratively in designing and coordinating programs assisting this population.

SRAD provides funds to help State and local governments achieve the system improvement goals of the JJDP Act, combat underage drinking, implement delinquency prevention programs, address disproportionate minority contact, and support initiatives to hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions. SRAD also supports and coordinates community efforts to identify and respond to critical juvenile justice and delinquency prevention needs.