Title: Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants Program Series: OJJDP Fact Sheet Author: Rodney L. Albert Published: April 1998 (#76) Subject: funding resources 4 pages 9,000 bytes ----------------------------------------------------- Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from NCJRS at 800-851-3420. ----------------------------------------------------- Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants Program by Rodney L. Albert ----------------------------------------------------- This Fact Sheet provides summary information regarding the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) program, a new block grant program designed to promote greater accountability in the juvenile justice system. It is being administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Public Law 105-119, Making Appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 1998, and for other Purposes (Appropriations Act), November 26, 1997, appropriated $250 million for the JAIBG program described in Title III of H.R. 3, as passed by the House of Representatives on May 8, 1997. After deducting statutory set-asides for program administration ($5.25 million); research, evaluation, and demonstration ($7.5 million); and training and technical assistance ($5 million), the balance available for distribution to eligible States is $232.25 million. State Eligibility and Program Areas In order to qualify for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 funds under the JAIBG program, each Governor or other chief executive from the 56 qualifying "State" jurisdictions must certify that the State has adopted, is considering, or will consider within 1 year State laws, policies, or procedures that would (1) subject juveniles age 15 or over who are alleged to have committed a "serious violent crime" to criminal prosecution by operation of law or prosecutor direct file; (2) impose sanctions on juvenile offenders for every delinquent act, including probation violations, and escalate sanctions for each subsequent more serious offense or probation violation; (3) establish a system of juvenile delinquency records that subjects juvenile felony offenders who have a prior delinquency adjudication to having their records treated in a manner equivalent to adult records, including submission of such records to the FBI; and (4) ensure that State law does not prohibit juvenile court judges from issuing court orders requiring parental supervision of a juvenile offender and from imposing sanctions for violations of such orders. In addition to the four areas of certification listed above, the Appropriations Act also requires that a State or unit of local government, to be eligible to receive a JAIBG grant or subgrant award, must have implemented or must agree to implement by January 1, 1999, a policy of testing appropriate categories of juveniles within the juvenile justice system for use of controlled substances. Of the funds available for awards to States in FY 1998, individual allocations, based on population under age 18, range from $1.2 million to $22.5 million per State. Funds are available for 12 juvenile justice system related program purpose areas: o Construction of juvenile detention or correctional facilities, including training of personnel. o Accountability-based sanctions programs. o Hiring of judges, probation officers, and defenders and funding of pretrial services. o Hiring of prosecutors. o Funding of prosecutor-led drug, gang, and violence programs. o Provision of technology, equipment, and training programs for prosecutors. o Probation programs. o Gun courts. o Drug courts. o Information sharing systems. o Accountability-based programs for law enforcement referrals or those that are designed to protect students and school personnel from drug, gang, and youth violence. o Controlled substance testing (including interventions) for juveniles in the juvenile justice system. The Appropriations Act prescribes the percentages of funds that are required to be expended within specified program purpose areas -- unless the State or subgrantee unit of local government certifies and documents that the interests of public safety or crime control require a different use. Distribution to Units of Local Government Absent a waiver, each State must distribute not less than 75 percent of its allocation among units of local government in the State. In making such distribution, the State will allocate funds among units of local government using a formula that combines law enforcement expenditures for each unit of local government and the average annual number of Uniform Crime Report Part I violent crime arrests reported by each unit of local government, each for the three most recent calendar years for which data are available. Two-thirds of each unit of local government allocation is based on the law enforcement expenditure data and one-third on the reported violent crime arrest data, in a ratio based on the aggregate data for all units of general local government in the State. A unit of local government must qualify for a minimum of $5,000 in order to be eligible to receive an award. The State will retain funds allocated to nonqualified units in order to provide services for their benefit or use. The State or local government recipient of a JAIBG award must contribute, in the form of a cash match, at least 10 percent of the total program cost. If JAIBG funds are used to construct a permanent juvenile corrections facility, the cash match must be at least 50 percent of total program costs. JAIBG program funds cannot be used to supplant State or local funds. Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalitions States and units of local government eligible to receive JAIBG funds must establish a Coordinated Enforcement Plan (CEP) for reducing juvenile crime developed by a Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalition (JCEC). State CEP's must be developed by a JCEC consisting of law enforcement and social service agencies involved in juvenile crime prevention. To assist in developing the State's CEP, States may choose to utilize members of the State Advisory Group established by the State's chief executive under the OJJDP Formula Grants program, if appropriate membership exists, or another planning group that constitutes a coalition of law enforcement and social service agencies. When establishing a local JCEC to establish a CEP, units of local government must include, unless impracticable, individuals representing (1) police, (2) sheriff, (3) prosecutor, (4) State or local probation services, (5) juvenile court, (6) schools, (7) business, and (8) religious, fraternal, nonprofit, or social service organizations involved in crime prevention. The eight groups listed for a JCEC do not constitute an exhaustive list. Units of local government may add additional representation as appropriate. Units of local government may utilize members of Prevention Policy Boards established under OJJDP's Title V Community Prevention Grants program to meet the JCEC requirement, provided that each such coalition meets the minimum membership requirements. ----------------------------------------------------- For Further Information OJJDP has developed the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants Program Guidance Manual to assist States and units of local government in applying for, receiving, obligating, and expending JAIBG funds. An accompanying regulation will establish the procedure for States and units of local government to provide notice to OJJDP of proposed uses of funds. The Guidance Manual can be downloaded from OJJDP's home page, www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm. Printed copies of the Guidance Manual are available from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, 800-638-8736. Questions regarding the JAIBG program can be directed to OJJDP's State Relations and Assistance Division, 202-307-5924. ----------------------------------------------------- Rodney L. Albert is the Assistant Director of OJJDP's State Relations and Assistance Division. FS-9876