Iowa will use funding from the 2021 formula grant to serve delinquent youth, focusing on the following priority areas: ● prevention and intervention; ● behavioral health; ● transition of youth; ●…

Iowa will use funding from the 2021 formula grant to serve delinquent youth, focusing on the following priority areas: ● prevention and intervention; ● behavioral health; ● transition of youth; ● gender equity; ● disproportionate minority contact. The iowa juvenile justice advisory council (JJAC), which serves as the state advisory group (SAG), selected these priority areas after reviewing research, information, and trend data during a planning retreat in september 2020. These priority areas were further defined when the JJAC's policy and program (PNP), iowa task force for young women (ITFYW) and disproportionate minority contact (DMC) subcommittees developed goals, objectives, and action steps. After much discussion these finalized priority areas were approved by the JJAC in march 2021. Due to the nature of these priority areas, multiple partners and cross-systems collaborations are required to attain measurable progress in achieving the goals and objectives. The primary strategies for the SAG are to (1) align activities with best practices in juvenile justice reform, (2) leverage existing statewide collaborations and efforts, and (3) build on the expertise of the ITFYW subcommittee, the DMC subcommittee and youth with lived experience. The SAG intends to seek technical assistance from national experts, cultivate local efforts that mirror statewide priorities, partner with juvenile court services (JCS) in iowa's eight judicial districts, and advance data driven recommendations that support the developmental needs of youth while mitigating racial and ethnic disparities. The collaborative nature of the activities of these cross-system initiatives will provide meaningful and long-lasting changes in policies and practices that will improve the landscape of the juvenile justice system. Additionally, these efforts support programs and services that improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. The majority of the formula funds will be allocated to the eight JCS judicial districts upon the approval of local plans to address the specific identified needs in their respective communities. The local plans will be developed with input from community stakeholders and local partners. Formula grant funding will also support the continuation of compliance monitoring efforts, and data analysis support for the identified priority areas and other juvenile justice related issues. No funding will be used to conduct research. At least annually during the three year time period, the SAG will review compiled progress reports along with the goals, objectives, and activities in the three year plan to evaluate progress and determine if any modifications should be made.