Maine will continue to use the findings and recommendations from the childrens center for law & policys maine juvenile justice system assessment to guide their three-year plan

Program areas of focus include mental health, after care/reentry, racial and ethnic disparities, community based programs and gender specific services. The juvenile justice advisory group (jjag) will support the development of more effective crisis responses with a focus on community-based initiatives that successfully minimize or eliminate the role of law enforcement in responding to the behavioral health needs of youth in schools, residential settings, and in the community. The jjag will support the development of inclusive supportive housing for system-involved youth with an emphasis on youth transitioning out of secure care. Guided by the racial and ethnic disparities/disproportionate minority contact (red/DMC) plan, the jjag will support targeted diversion and related capacity-building efforts in community-based organizations to meet the needs of youth in historically or currently marginalized populations. The jjag will devote resources to community-based programs for girls and lgbtq/GNC youth. The jjag will work to elevate and amplify the voices of youth involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the JJ system, to authentically engage them in reform efforts.