Attorney General Issues Call to Action On Youth Violence. EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL OJJDP WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1996 202/307-0703 ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUES CALL TO ACTION ON YOUTH VIOLENCE RELEASES ACTION PLAN TO HELP COMMUNITIES COMBAT JUVENILE CRIME WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno today issued an urgent call to action on behalf of America’s children and released an action plan to help communities reduce crime by and against juveniles. Combating Violence and Delinquency: The National Juvenile Justice Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy and information guide for focusing federal, state and local resources to reduce youth violence and prevent delinquency. Reno also highlighted examples of community programs that are already working, like D.C.’s "Operation Ceasefire" and Anacostia Senior High School’s Academy of Law, Justice, and Security, as excellent examples of the Action Plan at work. "Local efforts such as ‘Operation Ceasefire’ and the Academy are the most effective weapons against juvenile crime and violence," she said. "Operation Ceasefire," a federal/local initiative sponsored by United States Attorney Eric H. Holder, Jr.’s office and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, is seizing illegal firearms and sponsoring an extensive public education campaign to change youths’ attitudes about guns. Students from the Academy of Law, Justice, and Security, based in Anacostia, told the Attorney General how the Academy helps them prepare for higher education and possible employment in the fields of law, law enforcement, corrections and security. In announcing the Action Plan, the Attorney General cited statistics showing that between 1984 and 1994, the number of juvenile murderers tripled, while the number of juvenile murder victims increased by 82 percent. "More and more of our nation’s children are killing and dying, " said Reno. "The only way we can break the cycle of violence is through a truly national effort implemented one community at a time. Everyone has a role -- businesses, schools, universities, and especially parents. Every community and every citizen can find practical steps in the Action Plan to do something now about youth violence." The National Juvenile Justice Action Plan outlines eight objectives that Americans must engage in to reduce youth violence: 1. Provide immediate intervention and appropriate sanctions and treatment for delinquent juveniles; 2. Prosecute certain serious, violent and chronic juvenile offenders in criminal court; 3. Reduce youth involvement with guns, drugs and gangs; 4. Provide opportunities to children and youth; 5. Break the cycle of violence by addressing youth victimization, abuse and neglect; 6. Strengthen and mobilize communities; 7. Support the development of innovative approaches to research and evaluation; and 8. Implement an aggressive campaign to spread information on effective strategies to combat juvenile violence. Over the next year, the Attorney General will be calling upon communities, institutions and individuals to implement the Action Plan. Along with other federal agencies, the Justice Department will be highlighting local successes and committing resources, such as training and technical assistance, to support local programming highlighted in the Action Plan. The Action Plan was developed by the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which includes the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, juvenile justice professionals from state and local government, as well as private juvenile justice practitioners. The Attorney General serves as Chair, and Shay Bilchik, Administrator of the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), serves as Vice-Chair. "One of the strengths of the Action Plan is that it does not merely set goals, but also offers the information that communities need," said Bilchik. "For each objective, the Action Plan provides background information; an in- depth review of effective strategies and promising programs from across the nation; a description of initiatives from different federal agencies to assist states and local communities; and suggestions for state and local action." Bilchik added, "The Action Plan format allows users to focus on any specific objective appropriate to their community." Copies of Combating Violence and Delinquency: The National Juvenile Justice Action Plan, or the Action Plan Summary are available from OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, Box 6000, Rockville, Maryland 20857. The toll-free number is 1-800/638-8736. More information about the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and about OJJDP conferences, publications and programs also is available through the Clearinghouse and through the OJJDP World Wide Web site. The Internet address is http://www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm. More information about "Operation Ceasefire" is available from the United States Attorney’s Office-District of Columbia, Judiciary Center Building, 555 4th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, 202/307-2340. More information about the Academy of Law, Justice, and Security is available from Anacostia Senior High School, 16th and R Streets, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20020, 202/645-3006 # # # 96-30 After hours contact: Adam Spector at 202/616-3230