Delinquency Prevention. John J. Wilson, Acting Administrator FACT SHEET #6 February 1994 DELINQUENCY PREVENTION by Paul Steiner "...I urge you to consider this: As you demand tougher penalties for those who choose violence, let us also remember how we came to this sad point." "...We have seen a stunning and simultaneous breakdown of community, family, and work. This has created a vast vacuum which has been filled by violence and drugs and gangs. So I ask you to remember that even as we say no to crime, we must give people, especially our young people something to say yes to." President Clinton State of The Union Address January 25, 1994 THE NEED Public safety is paramount - government has a duty to protect the public from kids who can kill. But it is becoming ever more apparent that increasing police, prosecution, and prisons alone is neither sufficient nor adequately effective in stemming the tide of youth violence and crime. According to the FBI, in 1992 there were an estimated 2.3 million arrests of juveniles - nearly 130,000 of these arrests were for Violent Crime Index Offenses. Arrests of juveniles for violent crime increased 57 percent between 1983 and 1992. Arrests of juveniles for murder increased by 128 percent during this period. In 1988, juvenile arrests accounted for less than eight percent of all murder arrests. By 1992, juveniles accounted for 15 percent. From 1983 to 1991, the population of juveniles from the age of 10 to the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction decreased by nearly four percent, but the number of juveniles held in custody on any given day increased by approximately 20 percent. In 1991, nearly half of the incarcerated population were held in crowded facilities. By 2005, the total population of youths from 15 to 19 years old will grow by an estimated 23 percent. These statistics indicate the need for a comprehensive prevention strategy that addresses the root causes of delinquency. We can no longer afford to focus only on treating the symptoms while ignoring the disease. CONGRESS RESPONDS In the 1992 reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as Amended (JJDP Act) Congress established "Title V -- Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs" in response to the need for local comprehensive delinquency prevention planning and programs for youth who have had or are likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system. In creating a separate Title and appropriation for prevention in the JJDP Act, Congress recognized the need to preserve prevention as a priority of OJJDP and establish a source of funding and technical support dedicated solely to prevention programs on the local level. THE TITLE V DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM STRATEGY. Based on the current state of research on the causes and correlates of delinquency, as well as over 15 years experience in implementing delinquency prevention programs, OJJDP has issued a funding guideline for Title V Delinquency Prevention Programs which is based on four precepts. First, prevention programs must be based on sound theory supported by positive or promising research results. Second, prevention programs must incorporate a system of data collection and analysis to evaluate program outcome and performance. Third, prevention efforts cannot be effectively directed by public agencies alone - a dedicated community coalition of citizens, private businesses, and public agencies must direct a collaborative effort which draws on public, private and volunteer resources. Fourth, the prevention program must operate pursuant to a comprehensive plan which periodically assesses and prioritizes the risk factors in the community which are associated with the development of delinquent behavior, and implements programs and strategies tailored to address the prioritized risk factors and enhance factors which protect children from the effects of risk factors. RISK FACTORS AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS. The prevention strategy described in the Title V funding guideline is based on a simple premise. In order to prevent the development of delinquent behavior in children, the factors that increase the risk of the growth of such behavior need to be identified. Once these factors are identified, then strategies to address them, including enhancing the protective factors for children to resist the effect of the risk factors, can be planned and implemented. This strategy is based largely on the "Communities that Care" model developed and tested by David Hawkins and Richard Catalano. The body of research on delinquency and crime has identified a number of factors which are linked with development of delinquent behavior. These factors can be grouped in the following broad categories: the family, the community, the school, the individual and the peer group. Within each of these categories, specific risk factors can be identified, such as child abuse and family disintegration, economic and social deprivation, low neighborhood attachment, parental attitudes condoning law violating behavior, academic failure, truancy, school drop-out, lack of bonding with society, fighting with peers, and early initiation of problem behaviors. The more of these risk factors that a child is exposed to, the more likely it is that delinquent and violent behavior may develop and flourish. The Title V prevention strategy is designed to reduce identified risk factors while strengthening protective factors. These include healthy beliefs and clear standards for productive, law-abiding behavior, and bonding with adults who adhere to these beliefs and standards. FUNDING. Title V authorizes OJJDP to make grants to States to be transmitted through the State Advisory Groups (SAGs) to qualified units of local government. The 1994 appropriation for Title V is $13 million. OJJDP proposes to award these funds to States based on a formula determined by each State's population of youth below the maximum age limit for original juvenile court delinquency jurisdiction, with a minimum award of $75,000. States will then subgrant their Title V funds to localities or combinations of localities through a competitive process. The number and size of the grants will be determined by the SAG. Title V funds must be matched by the State or localities with 50 percent of the amount of the grant. The match may be made in cash or the value of in-kind contributions. PROJECTED FUNDING TIMETABLE. OJJDP anticipates that Title V funds will be awarded to participating States by June 1994, with subgrants to be made to units of local government by December 1994. Grants may be awarded for project periods of 12 to 36 months, with an initial award for up to one year. Future funding is contingent upon Congressional action. LOCAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. In order to be eligible to apply for a Title V subgrant from the State, a locality must meet three requirements: (1) Receive a certification of compliance with the OJJDP Act Formula Grants mandates from the SAG; (2) Convene or designate a Prevention Policy Board; (3) Submit a three year, comprehensive delinquency prevention plan to the State. LOCAL APPLICATION AND THREE YEAR COMPREHENSIVE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PLAN. The funding guideline prepared by OJJDP provides detailed information on the requirements for the local application and prevention plan. These requirements include: * Evidence of the commitment of key community leaders to the delinquency prevention effort; * An assessment of the community's readiness to adopt a comprehensive delinquency prevention strategy; * An assessment and prioritization of the risk factors in the community and a description of the strategy designed to address those risk factors; * Identification of resources and promising approaches; * A strategy to mobilize the community to implement the prevention strategy; * A plan for the collection of performance and outcome data. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. Training and technical assistance is available for communities interested in developing a comprehensive delinquency prevention plan and applying for Title V funds from the State. The training and technical assistance will focus on the principles and process of risk-focused prevention. Training will be available starting in April and continue through 1994, at up to 45 sites across the nation. This training will be conducted in two phases. The first phase consists of a one day orientation for key community leaders on the research basis for risk-focused prevention and strategies for implementing a comprehensive prevention program. The second phase consists of a three day workshop on risk and resource assessment for community prevention teams. The training is provided at no cost to participants other than the cost of travel and lodging. Localities planning to apply for Title V funds should take advantage of this training opportunity. Technical assistance will also be available to localities developing Title V prevention strategies through the State agency administering the Title V program. Examples of this assistance include expert advice on topics such as community mobilization, developing Policy Prevention Boards, risk and resource assessment, enhancing protective factors in the community, and media relations. FOR MORE INFORMATION... on the funding guideline, training, and other prevention resources, Contact: The Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse 1600 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 Attention: Title V Prevention Telephone 1-800-638-8736 FS-9406