The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Visits Connecticut

History of the JJDPA

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) was signed into law by President Gerald Ford in 1974. Designed as a partnership between federal government and the states, territories and the District of Columbia, it was established to protect children and youth in the justice system, to effectively address high-risk and delinquent behavior, and to improve community safety. Specifically, the act required states and territories meet certain common standards for how youth are treated in the justice system and provides funding to ensure states comply.

In 2018, the Senate unanimously approved 5 a five-year reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), renamed the Charles Grassley Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program, using a fast-track procedure that requires the support of every senator.

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in Connecticut

Connecticut has been a leader in many aspects of improving the ways in which youth are processed, however there remains work to be done. Through the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee’s (JJPOC) work and many committed stakeholders, our state is taking on the challenges that need to be addressed on behalf of our youth.

Connecticut was a participating state in the JJDPA until 2018. Oversight of state compliance with the JJDPA is the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Due to staffing issues at the state level and in recognition of the work of the JJPOC, the state became a non-participating state and the funding available to participating states was opened up to other organizations.  Because of the role the Tow Youth Justice Institute (TYJI) holds in staffing the JJPOC, it was a natural fit for the University of New Haven to apply for the non-participating states funds. TYJI focused its applications for these funds to further the work of the JJPOC by subawarding funds to organizations that work to accomplish the similar goals of the JJPOC and the OJJDP.  In 2018, subawards were granted to the Center for Children’s Advocacy and the Connecticut Youth Services Association.  In 2019, the subawards were given to the Center for Children’s Law and Policy and the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership. In 2020 – 2021, partnerships included the Center for Children’s Advocacy, the Connecticut Youth Services Association and the University of New Haven for a project on restorative practices.

Connecticut has made the decision to rejoin the JJDPA moving forward.  This will bring further alignment of the work of the JJPOC with the objectives of the federal act.  The Tow Youth Justice Institute has been helping with the transition which included planning a visit of the OJJDP to Connecticut to meet with key stakeholders. Administrator Liz Ryan and her team spent two days in Connecticut meeting with state agencies, the governor, TYJI and attending a JJPOC monthly meeting to see first-hand the tremendous progress being made in the state