Juvenile Justice

Resources

Addressing the Intersections of Juvenile Justice Involvement and Youth Homelessness: Principles for Change

This 2017 publication from the Center for Juvenile Justice examines the relationship between juvenile justice involvement and experiences of homelessness among youth. It explores the criminalization of youth experiencing homelessness and pathways to homelessness among juvenile justice-involved youth, and provides a roadmap for communities to help young people avoid experiencing juvenile justice system involvement and/or youth homelessness.

Collaborating for Change: Addressing Youth Homelessness and Juvenile Justice

The work of the Collaborating for Change project focuses on two main goals: (1) to decrease the likelihood that homeless youth become involved with the juvenile justice system, and (2) to prevent youth homelessness among justice-involved youth.
Visit the Collaborating for Change website.

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)

Most recently reauthorized in 2018, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) embodies a partnership between the federal government and the U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia to protect children and youth in the juvenile and criminal justice system, to effectively address high-risk and delinquent behavior and to improve community safety. It is the only federal law that sets out national standards for the custody and care of youth in the juvenile justice system, provides direction and support for state juvenile justice system improvements, and supports programs and practices to improve youth outcomes and community safety. The law establishes State Advisory Groups (SAGs) in each state or U.S. territory to advise on juvenile justice issues, help maintain compliance with the core protections of the JJDPA, and develop a 3-year plan for their state’s use of JJDPA funds. For information about the implementation of the JJDPA visit the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/programs/formula-grants-program.

National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses

This publication, authored by the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, explores the issue of status offenses among juveniles; in particular, based on research and the recommendations from a team of experts from varying backgrounds, the publication calls for a prohibition on detention of status offenders and seeks to divert them from the delinquency system by promoting the most appropriate services for families and the least restrictive placement options for status offending youth. A status offender is a juvenile charged with or adjudicated for conduct that would not, under the law of the jurisdiction in which the offense was committed, be a crime if committed by an adult. The most common examples of status offenses are chronic or persistent truancy, running away, violating curfew laws, or possessing alcohol or tobacco.
Download National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses.

Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness Involved in the Criminal Justice System

This research brief from the Neglected and Delinquent Technical Assistance Center (NDTAC) provides an overview of experiences of homelessness among students in the United States; information on the relationship between experiences of homelessness and involvement in the criminal justice system among students; and suggestions for ways TIPD State coordinators can collaborate with Education for Homeless Children and Youth staff and coordinators to support students experiencing homelessness who have been involved in the justice system.
Download the NDTAC Research Brief: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness Involved in the Criminal Justice System.

Voices from the Field: NDTAC Transition Toolkit Supplement

For this supplement, NDTAC state coordinators provided direct insight on helpful transition tools that will help practitioners to plan for and oversee the provision of transition services for youth transitioning from facilities and returning to their families and communities. It is designed to enhance the NDTAC Transition Toolkit 3.0: Meeting the Educational Needs of Youth Exposed to the Juvenile Justice System by providing recently released resources on youth reentry, sharing successful strategies, and identifying existing resources in use among states that address the greatest challenges and most critical needs for the individuals doing this work.
Download Voices from the Field: NDTAC Transition Toolkit Supplement.