The indiana criminal justice institute (icji) serves as the state's planning agency for criminal justice, juvenile justice, traffic safety, and victim services

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) received a $933,361 Formula Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention program.

Under the award, ICJI will oversee compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and distribution of grant funds from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2026. ICJI will fund a Compliance Monitoring Coordinator, Juvenile Justice Specialist, and a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Program Coordinator to ensure JJDPA compliance. Additionally, at least 75% of funds will be passed through to local and state sub-grantees. Priorities for funding include understanding referral trends related to race, ethnicity, gender and religion to promote evidence-based interventions; enhancing information sharing between state and local agencies; improving well-being of at-risk and justice-involved youth through substance abuse and mental health programs; and promoting restorative justice approaches. The funding will benefit government agencies and at-risk youth across Indiana.

The icji behavioral health division, with guidance from the juvenile justice state advisory group (SAG), oversees the distribution of funds from, and compliance with, the juvenile justice delinquency prevention act (jjdpa). Indiana funds a compliance monitoring coordinator, juvenile justice specialist, and racial and ethnic disparities program coordinator to ensure compliance with the jjdpa. In addition, indiana passes through a minimum of 75% of their funds to sub-grantees at the state and local levels. All grants are approved by the icji board of trustees and follow rigorous compliance monitoring. Icji used a 3-pronged approach to identify needs and determine the three-year plan priorities. First, icji conducted an in-depth crime and data analysis to uncover trends and changes since the last planning period. Second, the juvenile justice specialist in collaboration with the SAG, and local stakeholders, developed a short survey to learn about community needs. The juvenile justice specialist assisted the SAG members in ranking the office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention (ojjdp) program areas through a survey. Lastly, icji researched available federal, state, and local youth program funding to identify under and unfunded program areas. Four priorities emerged from these efforts: 1.) understand referral trends, regarding race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, and promote evidence-driven interventions to local units of government; 2.) enhance information sharing between state and local agencies to continue to understand the needs of youth and the juvenile justice system; 3.) improve wholistic well-being of at risk and justice connected youth through programs that offer pathways to recovery from substance abuse, mental illness, violent extremism, and victimization; 4.) promote pathways to restorative justice for juveniles to remain in their own homes, schools, and communities. Agencies across various levels of government, dual-status, and at-risk children will benefit from this proposed plan.