Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Shay Bilchik, Administrator FACT SHEET #31 November 1995 Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention by Gina E. Wood The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act establishes the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as an independent body within the Executive branch of the Federal Government. The Council's primary functions are to coordinate all Federal juvenile delinquency prevention programs, all Federal programs and activities that detain or care for unaccompanied juveniles, and all Federal programs relating to missing and exploited children. The Council, which is chaired by the Attorney General, meets quarterly and at the call of its Chair. The Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) serves as the Council's Vice-Chair. The Council, as restructured by the 1992 amendments to the JJDP Act, is comprised of nine ex-officio members and nine non-Federal members who are juvenile justice practitioners. The ex-officio members are the Attorney General, the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, and Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National Service, and the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The President may designate other key Federal officials with significant decision- making authority to serve on the Council. The Council's Responsibilities 1) Coordinate all Federal juvenile delinquency programs, programs and activities that detain or care for unaccompanied juveniles, and programs relating to missing and exploited children. 2) Examine how programs can be coordinated among Federal, State, and local governments to better serve at-risk youth. 3) Make annual recommendations to the Congress with respect to "coordination of overall policy and development of objectives and priorities for all Federal programs and activities that detain or care for unaccompanied juveniles." 4) Review the programs and practices of Federal agencies and report on the degree to which Federal agency funds are used for purposes consistent with the requirements of the JJDP Act. 5) Review and make recommendations with respect to joint funding proposals undertaken between the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and any agency represented on the Council. 6) Review the reasons why Federal agencies take juveniles into custody and make recommendations to improve Federal practices and facilities for holding juveniles in custody. Profile of Major Activities Historically, the Coordinating Council has focused on a variety of special initiatives such as proposing a Weed and Seed Youth Component Program, supporting the Ida B. Wells Community Initiative in conjunction with the Chicago Housing Authority, encouraging amendments to the JJDP Act to mandate research on how youth are being handled on Indian reservations and in Alaskan Native communities, and providing financial support to the Cities in Schools dropout prevention program. Some of the publications produced by the Coordinating Council include: Federal Agency Juvenile Delinquency Development Statements; Juvenile Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: A Guide to Federal Initiatives for Prevention, Treatment and Control; Survey on Federal Practices With Regard to Taking Juveniles Into Custody; and Responding to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Youth: A Handbook Based on the Paul and Lisa, Inc., Approach. The 1992 amendments broadened the Council's responsibilities to include coordination with State and local programs. Recent Council discussions reflect a desire to address critical program issues between Federal programs and State and local communities and to build funding partnerships with national organizations concerned with juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. National Juvenile Justice Action Plan During the initial meeting of the reconstituted Coordinating Council, the Attorney General's call for a "national agenda for children" received unanimous support. The development of a National Juvenile Justice Action Plan, supporting State and local efforts to comprehensively address the needs of the nation's children, is the Council's response to her challenge to develop such an agenda. The Action Plan focuses on critical areas that demand immediate Federal, State, and local attention. It advocates adoption of eight priority objectives designed to prevent and control delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system. The objectives are to ensure immediate and appropriate sanctions and treatment services; enhance public safety by prosecuting certain serious and violent juveniles in criminal court; decrease youth involvement in criminal activity (including gang offenses, illegal firearms, and illicit drug use); break the cycle of domestic violence, victimization, and abuse and neglect; create positive opportunities for children and adolescents; mobilize citizens and communities by providing information about problems and solutions; evaluate programs and practices to determine if they are making a significant difference; and promote public awareness of juvenile justice issues. For each of these priority objectives, targeted approaches and strategies founded upon research are recommended. Implementing the Plan The National Juvenile Justice Action Plan is a working document that describes coordinated Federal efforts to support State and local initiatives and establish strengthened linkages between national organizations and state and local communities. The Action Plan supports State and local implementation of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. The Comprehensive Strategy provides a framework for a continuum of care system designed to break the cycle of juvenile violence and delinquency. A blueprint for implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy has recently become available through OJJDP's Guide for Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. The Guide provides an in depth review of programs, practices, and tools that can be used to support step by step implementation of the system of prevention services and juvenile justice sanctions called for by the Comprehensive Strategy. The Action Plan provides a companion piece for juvenile justice practitioners providing national leadership and Federal resources to support a community's effort to prevent delinquency, intervene in early delinquent behavior, and respond effectively to serious, violent, and chronic offenders. The Action Plan includes specific steps Federal agencies will initiate to support the implementation of comprehensive State, local, and tribal efforts to enhance public safety, reduce violence and serious delinquency, and foster positive youth development. These priority activities also facilitate the coordination among key Federal juvenile justice and delinquency prevention policies, programs and activities. Overall the Action Plan provides guidance for effective action by Federal, State, and local policymakers and juvenile justice professionals. It is the Coordinating Council's hope that the Action Plan will facilitate the development of a national vision of justice for America's youth. To receive a copy of the National Juvenile Justice Action Plan, contact the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 1-800-638-8736. Coordinating Council Members The Honorable Janet Reno, Chair, Attorney General Shay Bilchik, Vice Chair, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Donna E. Shalala, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Richard W. Riley, U.S. Department of Education Robert B. Reich, U.S. Department of Labor Henry G. Cisneros, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Barry McCaffrey, Office of National Drug Control Policy Harris Wofford, Corporation for National Service Doris Meissner, Immigration and Naturalization Service Practitioner members: Lisa M. Beecher, Detective Portland Police, Bureau of Investigations, Portland, ME The Honorable James L. Burgess, Presiding Judge 18th Judicial District of Kansas, Wichita John Cahill, Program Coordinator Clark County Family and Youth Services, Las Vegas, NV John A. (Jack) Calhoun, Executive Director National Crime Prevention Council, Washington, DC Dr. Nancy G. Guerra, Associate Professor Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago Michael J. Mahoney, President John Howard Association, Chicago, IL The Honorable Gordon A. Martin, Jr., Associate Justice Massachusetts Trial Court, Boston, MA Mary Ann Murphy, Manager Regional Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, Spokane, WA Rose W. Washington, Executive Director Berkshire Farms Center, Canaan, NY For further information regarding the Coordinating Council, please contact: Gina E. Wood, Director Concentration of Federal Efforts Program Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 633 Indiana Avenue NW, Suite 706 Washington, D.C. 20531 (202) 616-9159 (Phone) or (202) 307-2093 (FAX) Internet address: gwoods@justice.usdoj.gov FS-9531