Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Title II Formula Grant Program

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), an Executive Branch agency within the Secretariat of Public Safety and Homeland Security, provides comprehensive planning and technical and support services for the criminal justice system to improve and promote public safety in the Commonwealth. DCJS is responsible for planning and carrying out programs and initiatives to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the criminal justice system as a whole. Virginia receives federal funds from the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act Title II Formula Grants Program.

The purpose of the Title II grant program is to “support a continuum of evidence-based or promising programs . . . that are trauma informed, reflect the science of adolescent development, and are designed to meet the needs of at-risk youth and youth who come into contact with the justice system.”

Title II Formula Grants

The Title II Formula Grants Program (Title II) is authorized under the JJDP Act of 1974, as amended. Virginia’s Title II funds are used for maintaining compliance with core requirements of the JJDP Act, reducing disproportionality in the juvenile justice system, serving system-involved youth in their home communities, and increasing and strengthening family engagement and community involvement for youth by improving the availability of evidence-based programs.

DCJS Title II funding opportunities provide support to state and local governments for planning, implementation, or enhancement of evidence-based programs and for system change initiatives that support the uplifting of youth development and improvement of the juvenile justice system.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities

In December 2018, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA) of 2018 was signed into law, reauthorizing and substantially amending the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act.

The fourth core requirement of the JJDP Act, the requirement to address "disproportionate minority contact" was revised by the JJRA. States must now identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities (as defined in Section 103(41)) (Section 223(a)(15)) at various decision points in the juvenile justice system. Racial and ethnic disparities (RED) exist if a specific minority group's rate of contact at a particular point in the juvenile justice system is different than the rate of contact for non-Hispanic whites or other minority groups. States achieve compliance with this core requirement when they address racial and ethnic disparities through the following: identification, development of an action plan, and an outcome-based evaluation.

DCJS provides technical assistance to localities seeking to reduce (RED).

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