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by Cecilia Duquela
Overview of the JAIBG
The Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants
(JAIBG) program, administered by the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP),
is designed to promote greater accountability among
juveniles who are involved in the juvenile justice
system. To that end, the program provides support,
both financial and programmatic, to improve juvenile
justice system infrastructure and operations at the
State and local levels. JAIBG funds are allocated to
States based on each State's relative population of
youth under age 18.
State Eligibility and Program Areas
States participating in the JAIBG program are
required to consider adopting State laws, policies,
or procedures that (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 escalate sanctions for subsequent, more serious
offenses, (3) establish a system of juvenile
delinquency records similar to that of adult criminal
records, and (4) promote increased parental
supervision of juvenile offenders by facilitating the
issuance of court orders that require such
supervision and impose sanctions for violation of
such orders. In addition, participating States are
required to establish a policy for testing certain
categories of alleged or adjudicated juvenile
offenders for use of controlled substances.
JAIBG funds can be used for the following 12 program
purpose areas:
1. Operation, expansion, renovation, or
construction of temporary or permanent juvenile
detention or correctional facilities, including
training of correctional personnel.
2. Development and administration of
accountability-based sanctions programs for juvenile
offenders.
3. Hiring of judges, probation officers, and
defenders and funding of pretrial services to improve
the administration of the juvenile justice system.
4. Hiring of prosecutors in order to reduce
backlogs of cases involving juvenile offenders.
5. Funding of prosecutor-led drug, gang, and
violence programs.
6. Funding for training, technology, and equipment
to help prosecutors identify and prosecute violent
juvenile offenders.
7. Funding for implementation of more effective
probation programs administered by juvenile courts
and probation offices.
8. Establishment of juvenile gun courts to
adjudicate and prosecute juvenile firearms offenders.
9. Establishment of juvenile drug court programs
to provide supervision of juvenile offenders with
substance abuse problems and an integrated
administration of sanctions and services.
10. Establishment and enhancement of interagency
information-sharing programs to promote enhanced
collaboration between schools, law enforcement, and
social service agencies.
11. Accountability-based programs for law
enforcement referrals or to promote increased school
safety by addressing drug, gang, and youth violence.
12. Controlled substance testing (including
interventions) for juvenile offenders.
Distribution of Funds to States
Of the total allocation to a State, up to 25 percent
can be retained at the State level, absent a waiver.
A State can request a waiver if it can demonstrate
that it bears the primary financial burden (more than
50 percent) for the administration of juvenile
justice within that State.
Distribution of Funds to Units of Local Government
Unless a State receives a waiver, each State must
distribute not less than 75 percent of its allocation
among units of local government in the State. A unit
of local government must qualify for a minimum of
$5,000 under the substate allocation formula in order
to receive a subgrant award. This calculation is
based on a formula that combines local law
enforcement expenditures and the number of juvenile
violent crime arrests for each jurisdiction.
Matching Funds
A State or unit of local government recipient of a
JAIBG award must provide at least 10 percent of the
total program cost in the form of a cash match.
However, when funds are used to construct a permanent
juvenile facility, the cash match must be at least 50
percent of total program costs. JAIBG program funds
cannot be used to supplant State or local funds.
Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalitions
States and units of local government participating in
the JAIBG program have established Juvenile Crime
Enforcement Coalitions (JCECs), which are responsible
for formulating a coordinated enforcement plan for
reducing juvenile crime. State JCECs consist of law
enforcement and social service agencies involved in
juvenile delinquency prevention. If members of the
State Advisory Group (SAG), which is appointed to
administer the Formula Grants program within the
State, include law enforcement and social service
agency representatives, then the SAG can also serve
as the State's JCEC.
JCECs established by units of local government must
include representation from law enforcement, schools,
juvenile court, probation services, businesses, and
nonprofit social service organizations. Units of
local government may use appropriately constituted
Prevention Policy Boards, established under OJJDP's
Title V Community Prevention Grants program, to meet
the JCEC requirement.
Training and Technical Assistance
Training and technical assistance support for
implementing the JAIBG program is available to States
and units of local government from Development
Services Group, Inc. (DSG) of Bethesda, MD.
Information about training and technical assistance
can be obtained by calling DSG toll free, 877-GO-
JAIBG (877-465-2424), or by visiting the DSG Web
site, www.dsgonline.com.
--------------------------
For Further Information
For additional information about the JAIBG program,
contact:
Chyrl Andrews, JAIBG Program Manager
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-5924
andrewsc@ojp.usdoj.gov (e-mail)
------------------------------
The JAIBG Guidance Manual, Version 3.0, is designed
to help States and units of local government apply
for, receive, obligate, and expend JAIBG funds. The
Guidance Manual can be obtained from OJJDP's home
page, www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org. Printed copies are
available from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse,
800-638-8736.
-----------------------------
Cecilia Duquela is a State Representative in OJJDP's
State and Tribal Assistance Division.
-----------------------------
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the
National Institute of Justice, and the Office for
Victims of Crime.