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Working for Youth Justice and Safety

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OJJDP Celebrates 50 Years of Transforming Youth Justice

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention have turned 50! On September 7, 1974, the JJDPA was signed into law, setting federal standards for the safe and equitable treatment of young people in the juvenile justice system and establishing OJJDP to lead national efforts to prevent and reduce juvenile delinquency.  

 Register for the 2024 OJJDP National Conference 
 View the 50th Anniversary Webpage 
 Watch Administrator Liz Ryan's JJDPA 50th Anniversary Video Message
 Use the hashtag #JJDPA50 to join the conversation and get the word out.

OJJDP Priorities

OJJDP's three priorities reflect the Office's guiding philosophy: to enhance the welfare of America’s youth and broaden their opportunities for a better future. To bring these goals to fruition, OJJDP is leading efforts to transform the juvenile justice system into one that will—

The juvenile justice field's decisionmaking must be informed by science and research to ensure young people are adjudicated fairly and given opportunities to learn and recover from youthful mistakes.

Community-based programs that involve families as a critical component enhance youth outcomes, increase public safety, and strengthen neighborhoods.

Juvenile justice practitioners must recognize and address the barriers to success that involvement with the juvenile justice system creates for youth.

The Latest from OJJDP

Registration is Open for OJJDP's 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention invites you to register for the 2024 National Conference on Youth Justice: Shaping the Next 50 Years. The conference will be held November 19-21, 2024, at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C. 

The History of the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act

A new blog post captures the history behind the most comprehensive piece of juvenile justice legislation ever passed by Congress.

Op-Ed: Treat Kids as Kids: A Modern Approach to Ensuring Safe Communities

"Two key factors that promote positive behaviors are support and opportunity. It is imperative that we strengthen the network of support for youth, both for those who engage in delinquent or criminal behavior and those whose circumstances put them at risk," wrote Administrator Ryan. Read her op-ed in Newsweek

Newsletter - Monthly - Card
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OJJDP News @ a Glance, August 2024

The August newsletter highlights the critical role youth played during the Civil Rights Movement, an OJJDP-supported program that relies on a youth-family-school-neighborhood partnership to reduce community violence, and the path a North Carolina youth followed from juvenile detention to a promising career in academia.

Video Available: OJJDP's Continuum of Care An Effective Framework for Youth Safety, Accountability, and Justice

Watch the webinar on OJJDP's Continuum of Care for Communities framework for youth justice programs and services that's centered around youth, families, and communities. This framework prioritizes youth and community safety and focuses on early intervention and effective programming. 

View and Apply for OJJDP Funding

Access current funding opportunities from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 

Learn about Funding

Learn about Funding

OJJDP funding programs support state and community efforts to develop effective prevention and intervention programs and to improve juvenile justice systems.
Access Resources

Access Resources

OJJDP produces and sponsors numerous publications and products each year that focus on different aspects of juvenile justice.
Find Programs

Find Programs

OJJDP sponsors programs to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization and improve juvenile justice systems.
Participate in Events

Participate in Events

Learn about upcoming webinars and in-person conferences and training opportunities that support OJJDP's mission.

Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying  Initiative

Discover more about OJJDP's Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying  Initiative. This national initiative focuses on prevention and early intervention from a youth-based perspective. OJJDP hosted its second Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Virtual Symposium from October 17-18, 2023.