Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) provides federal funding to states to support programs that improve the juvenile justice system. To receive this funding, states must meet four core requirements and include them in their annual Title II Formula Grant plan.

In Maryland, the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) administers the JJDPA through the Youth Justice Division. GOCPP supports the State Advisory Group (SAG), which helps develop the State's Three-Year Plan, annual updates, and grant funding recommendations, as required by state executive order and the JJDPA.

Learn more on the State Advisory Group page.

JJDPA Grant Program

The Youth Justice Division administers the Title II Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Formula Grant.

Four Core Requirements

The JJDPA requires states to comply with four core protections:

• Keep youth who commit status offenses (such as truancy or running away) out of secure detention whenever possible.
• Separate youth from adults by sight and sound when they are held in correctional facilities.
• Remove youth from adult jails and lockups, except in limited circumstances allowed by law.
• Reduce racial and ethnic disparities throughout the juvenile justice system.

The JJDPA was reauthorized by Congress in 2018, reaffirming these four core requirements.

Juvenile Justice Compliance Monitoring

The Juvenile Justice Compliance Monitor helps ensure that Maryland complies with the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 by monitoring facilities that may hold youth and reporting compliance to the federal government.

The Compliance Monitor:

• Identifies and classifies all Maryland facilities that may hold juveniles under public authority.
• Conducts on-site reviews to verify compliance with the Act's core requirements and confirm that facility classifications and records are accurate.
• Collects and analyzes compliance data from monitored facilities.
• Submits an annual compliance monitoring report to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
• Provides training and technical assistance to support compliance efforts.
• Maintains the state's Compliance Monitoring Database Collection System.
• Works with state agencies to resolve compliance issues and improve monitoring practices.

For questions, contact Aubrey Gerhardt at [email protected].

Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Addressing racial and ethnic disparities is one of the four core requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).

Racial and ethnic disparities occur when youth from racial or ethnic minority groups experience involvement in the juvenile justice system at higher rates than their representation in the general population. These disparities can occur at several stages of the juvenile justice process, including arrest, diversion, detention, confinement, and transfer to adult court.

Through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Title II Formula Grant Program, Maryland receives federal funding to reduce juvenile delinquency, strengthen the juvenile justice system, and address racial and ethnic disparities.

Additional information is available on the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Racial and Ethnic Disparities webpage.

For information about Maryland's efforts, see the Annual Racial and Ethnic Disparities Plan (FY 2025).

For questions, contact Layomi Omolola at [email protected].