Juvenile Justice & Youth Development

Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC)

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) is responsible for overseeing the distribution and use of federal juvenile justice funds to support youth development programs and improvements to Connecticut's juvenile justice system. "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."  This familiar adage has particular significance for those who work with young people.  Experts agree that the most successful anti-crime and anti-delinquency programs are geared toward positive youth development.  The JJAC funds and initiates programs that provide young people with positive role models and opportunities to participate in recreational, cultural, and skill-development activities.  The JJAC strives to make Connecticut's juvenile justice system among the best in the nation and to help the state's children become productive, law-abiding citizens.

Learn more about the JJAC:

1. Purpose & Functions
2. Types of Funding
3. Membership
4. Subcommittees
5. Meetings
6. Accomplishments
7. Annual Reports

Purpose & Functions

The purpose of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) is to prevent delinquency and improve Connecticut's juvenile justice system.  It was established in accordance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974 as amended, and it is responsible for oversight of federal juvenile justice funding to Connecticut. 

The JJAC is a Governor-appointed committee of volunteers charged with advising the Governor and the Office of Policy and Management on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention issues.  The functions of the JJAC are as follows:

1. Develop and approve Connecticut's juvenile justice plan.

2. Submit to the Governor and the legislature, at least annually, recommendations with respect to matters related to juvenile justice in Connecticut.

3. Make final funding decisions on all grant applications for federal juvenile justice funding submitted to the Office of Policy and Management.

4. Contact and seek regular input from juveniles currently under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system.

5. Complete other related duties as initiated by the JJAC or as requested by the Under Secretary of the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, Office of Policy and Management.

Types of Funding

The JJAC oversees the distribution and use of federal juvenile justice funding in Connecticut.  These funds include:

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Funds (JJDPA):  The JJDPA provides juvenile justice funding to states under the two programs described below.  Except as otherwise stated, funds are allocated to states based on the relative population of persons under age 18.  

• Formula Grants Program:  This program allocates funding to states to develop and administer a three-year comprehensive juvenile justice plan.  States are required to establish a state advisory group, which is the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) in Connecticut.  States must also monitor compliance with four federal mandates regarding the handling of juvenile offenders:

1. Deinstitutionalization of status offenders,

2. Separation of juveniles from adult offenders in secure confinement,

3. Removal of juveniles from adult jails and police lockups, and

4. Addressing the disproportionate confinement of minority youth.

• Title V Delinquency Prevention Program:  Title V of the JJDPA is designed to provide a dedicated fund source for states to award grants to units of local government for delinquency prevention and early intervention projects.  The program provides funding for up to three years to implement a local delinquency prevention plan based on an assessment of risk and protective factors associated with the development of delinquent behavior in the community's children.

JABG funding must be expended in 16 program purpose areas.

1. Developing, implementing, and administering graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders.
2. Building, expanding, renovating, or operating temporary or permanent juvenile correction, detention, or community corrections facilities. 
3. Hiring juvenile court judges, probation officers, and court-appointed defenders and special advocates, and funding pretrial services for juvenile offenders to promote the effective and expeditious administration of the juvenile justice system.
4. Hiring additional prosecutors so that more cases involving violent juvenile offenders can be prosecuted and case backlog reduced.
5. Providing funding to enable prosecutors to address drug, gang, and youth violence problems more effectively and for technology, equipment, and training to assist prosecutors in identifying and expediting the prosecution of violent juvenile offenders.
6. Establishing and maintaining training programs for law enforcement and other court personnel with respect to preventing and controlling juvenile crime. 
7. Establishing juvenile gun courts for the prosecution and adjudication of juvenile firearms offenders.
8. Establishing drug courts for juvenile offenders that provide continuing judicial supervision over juvenile offenders with substance abuse problems and the integrated administration of other sanctions and services for such offenders. 
9. Establishing and maintaining a system of juvenile records designed to promote public safety.
10. Establishing and maintaining interagency information-sharing programs that enable the juvenile and criminal justice systems, schools, and social services agencies to make more informed decisions regarding the early identification, control, supervision, and treatment of juveniles who repeatedly commit serious delinquent or criminal acts. 
11. Establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs designed to reduce recidivism among juveniles who are referred by law enforcement personnel or agencies. 
12. Establishing and maintaining programs to conduct risk and needs assessments of juvenile offenders that facilitate the effective early intervention and the provision of comprehensive services, including mental health screening and treatment and substance abuse testing and treatment to such offenders.
13. Establishing and maintaining accountability-based programs that are designed to enhance school safety. 
14. Establishing and maintaining restorative justice programs. 
15. Establishing and maintaining programs to enable juvenile courts and juvenile probation officers to be more effective and efficient in holding juvenile offenders accountable and reducing juvenile recidivism.
16. HIring detention and corrections personnel, and establishing and maintaining training programs for such personnel to improve facility practices and programming.

For information on current funding opportunities and listings of JJAC grant recipients, visit Programs & Grants.

Membership

Connecticut's state advisory group under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) to the Office of Policy and Management.  The JJAC is advisory to and staffed by the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division within the Office of Policy and Management.  JJAC members are appointed by the Governor and include public officials, youth workers, private citizens and young people as required by the JJDPA.  Members provide a diverse wealth of personal and professional expertise to JJAC projects and activities.  They are united in the common desire to help Connecticut's youth.

The members of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee are:

Subcommittee Structure

The JJAC has a standing executive subcommittee and establishes subject area subcommittees as necessary to carry out its purposes and functions.  Chairpersons of the subcommittees are appointed by the chairperson with the consent of the JJAC.  Subcommittees may include interested JJAC members but primarily include other volunteers with expertise in the subject area of the subcommittee.  Subcommittee reports and recommendations are subject to JJAC approval.  The current JJAC subcommittees are:  

• Executive Subcommittee

• Connecticut Consortium on School Attendance

• Subcommittee on Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)

• Subcommittee on Police Training

• Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice & Youth Development Data 

• Police/Juvenile Task Group

• School/Police Task Group 

JJAC Meetings

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public and generally include an educational presentation and action on subcommittee reports.  For a more complete list of JJAC agendas and minutes click here.

Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee CALENDAR

Accomplishments

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee is committed to preventing delinquency and improving Connecticut's juvenile justice system.  This section provides information on JJAC's programs and accomplishments in recent years.

Since 1977, the JJAC has provided seed funding to try new ideas and support a wide variety of programs.  Among the programs initiated or funded by the JJAC are:

• youth services bureaus
• police youth officers
• child abuse teams
• full-time juvenile prosecutors
• juvenile court clinics
• parent training
• social skills curricula
• law-related education programs
• community-based treatment for juvenile offenders
• Primary Mental Health Project
• local alcohol and drug abuse prevention councils
• juvenile training school training, consultation and educational enrichment
• juvenile sex offender treatment
• model police procedures for handling juveniles
• improving school attendance programs
• before/after school programs
• Juvenile Justice Centers
• gender-specific programming for girls
• cultural competency training for juvenile justice professionals
• alternatives to suspension and expulsion from school
• support to School Resource Officers
• nontraditional policing with youth programs
• studies of disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system
• comprehensive approach to combating underage drinking
• multi-systemic therapy
• support for the Office of the Child Advocate
• increased staffing in state juvenile justice agencies
• "Effective Police Interactions with Youth," a one-day training for patrol officers
• research and evaluation studies
• "Effective School Staff Interactions with Students and Police," a one-day training for school staff
• model MOA between superintendent of schools and chief of police on discipline in schools
• School Attendance Model Kindergarten Program

JJAC Annual Reports