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Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant
Juvenile Justice

The Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant program was established in the FY 1998 Appropriations (House Resolution 3) to address the growing problem of juvenile crime by promoting greater accountability in the juvenile justice system. The US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention appropriated $2,022,600 to West Virginia for state fiscal year 2002 to address the following goals and objectives.

Goals and objectives include:

• To build, expand, renovate or operate temporary or permanent juvenile correction or detention facilities, including training of correctional personnel;
• To develop and administer accountability-based sanctions for juvenile offenders.
• To hire additional juvenile judges, probation officers, and court-appointed defenders, and funding pre-trail services for the juvenile justice system.
• To provide funding to enable prosecutors to address drug, gang, and youth violence problems more effectively.
• To provide funding for technology, equipment, and training to assist prosecutors in identifying and expediting the prosecution of violent juvenile offenders.
• To provide funding to enable juvenile courts and juvenile probation offices to be more effective and efficient in holding juvenile offenders accountable and reducing recidivism.
• To establish court-based juvenile justice programs that target young firearms offenders through the establishment of juvenile gun courts for the adjudication and prosecution of juvenile firearms offenders.
• To establish drug court programs for juveniles so as to provide continuing judicial supervision over juvenile offenders with substance abuse problems and to provide the integrated administration of other sanctions and services.
• To establish and maintain interagency information-sharing programs that enable the juvenile and criminal justice system, schools, and social services agencies to make more informed decisions regarding the early identification, control, supervision, and treatment of juveniles who repeatedly commit serious delinquent or criminal acts.
• To establish and maintain accountability-based programs that work with juvenile offenders who are referred by law enforcement agencies, or which are designed, in cooperation with law enforcement officials, to protect students and school personnel from drug, gang, and youth violence.
• To implement a policy of controlled substance testing for appropriate categories of juveniles within the juvenile justice system.

Performance Measures:

• Assure that 45% of the funds are spent on hiring additional judges, probation officers, and court-appointed defenders; funding pre-trail services for the juvenile justice system; hiring additional prosecutors; funding which will enable prosecutors to address drug, gang and youth violence problems more effectively; funding for technology, equipment, and training to assist prosecutors in identifying and expediting the prosecution of violent juvenile offenders; funding to enable juvenile courts and juvenile probation offices to be more effective and efficient in holding offenders accountable and reducing recidivism; establishing gun courts for the adjudication and prosecution of juvenile firearms offenders, and establishing drug court programs.
• Assure that 35% of the funds are spent on developing and administering accountability-based sanctions for juvenile offenders and establishing and maintaining interagency information-sharing programs that enable the juvenile and criminal justice system, school, and social services agencies to make more informed decisions regarding the early identification, control, supervision, and treatment of juveniles who repeatedly commit serious delinquent or criminal acts.
• Assure that the remaining 20% of funds can be spent on any of the above and to build, expand, renovate, or operate temporary or permanent juvenile correction or detention facilities, including training of correctional personnel.

Eligible Applicants: State and Local units of government

Grant Cycle: Request for proposals are mailed in January.  This grant program operates on the state fiscal year, June 1 to July 31 .

Please contact Jason Carlson, (304) 558-8814, extension 223 for more information.

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