This issue highlights the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) recognition of Second Chance Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month, family-based alternatives to sentencing, a youth who advocates for her peers in Washington, DC, and training in Indian country on strategic planning.
This April, the U.S. Justice Department is celebrating Second Chance Month, which focuses on the nation’s commitment to helping individuals successfully transition out of the justice system. OJJDP has two distinct Second Chance Act reentry programs. One supports youth as they reenter their communities following residential placement. In 2021, OJJDP awarded about $10 million to 13 sites to support the successful transition of youth back into their communities. The other OJJDP Second Chance program focuses on families. OJJDP awarded nearly $4.5 million to address the needs of incarcerated parents and their children. Incarcerated parents receive services that promote education, job training, and parenting, while their children receive services that promote their positive development. The youth worker profiled in this issue is Kyla Woods, a recent college graduate who works as a youth advocate and policy analyst, also serving as the Youth Chairperson on the District of Columbia’s Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants. Another section of this issue focuses on a new publication by Native youth. It summarizes responses to questions posed at four tribal youth town halls and presents recommendations to OJJDP regarding ways to protect and promote the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native youth.