An Overview of the JAIBG Program

• NCJ Number: 187529
• Author(s): Cecilia Duquela
• Date Published: April 2001
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description

Annotation

This report provides an overview of the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants program (JAIBG) administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) with emphasis on eligibility requirements, program focus areas, and the allocation of funds.

Abstract

The Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants program (JAIBG) was designed to promote greater juvenile accountability and provide support, and to improve the juvenile justice system at both the State and local levels. JAIBG funds are allocated to States based on each State’s relative population of youth under age 18. Requirements for States participating in the JAIBG program are: (1) establish criminal prosecution by law or direct file for juveniles age 15 or older who are alleged to have committed a serious violent crime; (2) impose sanctions for every delinquent act and raise sanctions for further, more serious offenses; (3) establish a juvenile delinquency record system similar to the adult criminal record system; (4) facilitating the issuance of court orders requiring, therefore, increasing parental supervision and imposing sanctions for the violation of such orders; and (5) establishing a policy for drug testing. The report provides further information on what program areas JAIBG funds can be allocated for which include: (1) the operation, expansion, renovation, or construction of temporary or permanent juvenile detention or correctional facilities; (2) development and administration of accountability-based sanctions programs for juvenile offenders; (3) hiring judges, probation officers, and defenders and funding of pretrial services to improve the administration of the juvenile justice system; (4) hiring prosecutors to reduce the backlog of cases; (5) funding of prosecutor led drug, gang, and violence programs; (6) funding for training, technology, and equipment to assist prosecutors to identify and prosecute violent juveniles; (7) funding for implementing more effective juvenile probation programs; (8) establishing juvenile gun courts; (9) establishing juvenile drug court programs to provide supervision of juveniles offenders with substance abuse problems, integrating sanctions and services; (10) establishing and enhancing interagency information sharing programs; (11) accountability-based programs for law enforcement referrals or to promote increased school safety; and (12) drug testing and intervention for juvenile offenders. Information is provided on the distribution of JAIBG funds to both State and local governments with additional information on award recipients’ required provision of matching funds. Training and technical assistance support is available to States and local agencies implementing the JAIBG program. In addition, those State and local government agencies participating in JAIBG established the Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalitions, responsible for formulating a coordinated enforcement plan for reducing juvenile crime.