The project team will support current ojjdp juvenile justice system reform and reinvestment initiative grantees in developing and implementing innovative policies and practices based on research…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (CFDA 16.827) will provide $1,500,000 from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027 to support OJJDP's juvenile justice system reform and reinvestment initiative. The project team, led by the non-profit organization Community Resources For Justice, Inc. (CRJ), will assist current OJJDP grantees in developing and implementing innovative, research-based policies and practices to reduce youth contact with the justice system and improve outcomes. Key activities include engaging stakeholders, analyzing data, developing and implementing reform strategies, and measuring outcomes, with a focus on uplifting lived experience experts and facilitating meaningful community engagement. CRJ will partner with Justice for Families, an organization of families impacted by the justice system, to ensure youth, family, and community voice are incorporated throughout the project.

The project team will support current ojjdp juvenile justice system reform and reinvestment initiative grantees in developing and implementing innovative policies and practices based on research designed to reduce contact with the youth justice system and improve outcomes. Project activities are oriented around five core objectives: (1) engaging stakeholders, (2) analyzing data and identifying drivers, (3) developing innovative or research-based responses, (4) implementing responses, and (5) measuring outcomes. This inclusive approach will uplift lived experience experts and facilitate a meaningful engagement with impacted communities that could have a positive and long-lasting impact far beyond the specific project. This project will also support youth and families throughout the process. One of the key partners, justice for families, is an organization composed of families impacted by the system. Justice for families will support key activities across the grant, including identifying local leaders to support each state project and ensuring that youth, family, and community voice are a part of all work in the grant.