The assembly was held in response to an earlier forum that had called for such a conference to create a shared vision of the issues in juvenile detention and corrections and to develop appropriate strategies. The process of composing the vision and mission statements began with a review of the past and present of juvenile corrections, and moved into a forecast of what the future holds in the next century. The OJJDP representative spoke of the office's efforts to help the juvenile justice system deal with violent crime, but emphasized the critical need to strengthen the family unit. After drafting the vision statement, which holds forth the dream that every child should experience success within the context of caring families and nurturing communities, the assembly wrote the mission statement, which states that the juvenile corrections and detention system must provide leadership for change for youth, families, and communities.