The primary activities of this mississippi juvenile justice system reform project will build toward shared findings from across a range of system partners and activities to inform a final report…

This $1,323,817 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (CFDA 16.827 - Justice Reinvestment Initiative) will support a 3-year juvenile justice system reform project in Mississippi. The primary activities will build toward shared findings across system partners to inform a final report with policy and practice recommendations for improving the Mississippi juvenile justice system and sustaining effective diversion programs. The project will incorporate an evaluation of funded initiatives, a cost savings study on higher diversion and lower incarceration rates, and include youth and family voice through satisfaction surveys to guide decision-making. The award was made to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, who will work with sub-recipients like local governments and community organizations to implement these comprehensive public safety interventions across the state.

The primary activities of this mississippi juvenile justice system reform project will build toward shared findings from across a range of system partners and activities to inform a final report with recommendations for policy and practices to improve the mississippi juvenile justice system and sustain effective diversion programs that result from this initiative. The findings from an evaluation of funded projects and a study of cost savings associated with higher diversion and lower incarceration rates will be incorporated into the steering committees policies and practices recommendations to the state legislature and for advocacy for investment of state and county funding of diversion, delinquency prevention, and intervention programming. The project will include youth and family voice through the inclusion of family satisfaction surveys, which will help guide decision-making around each component of the program.