Skip to content

Our Goals

The overarching goal of the Juvenile Justice Initiative is to develop and implement research-based policies, practices, and programming to improve outcomes, reduce youth contact with the juvenile justice system, and increase investment in community-based diversion, delinquency intervention, and alternatives to detention programs. 

Improve youth outcomes and reduce contact with the youth justice system

  • Conduct analyses of juvenile referrals, intake case handling, pretrail detention, and reoffending using MYCIDS data
  • Engage all relevant stakeholders in the process of examining and analyzing the status of juvenile justice policies and procedures and building the collaboration necessary to examine data on a statewide level, while considering all aspects of the justice system, including local perspectives
  • Craft and implement data-driven policies and practices to improve public safety, to reduce reoffending and costs, and to increase the equitable treatment of justice-involved youth
    •  

Strategically reinvest resulting costs saved or averted into effective prevention and intervention programs

  • Identify state, local, and foundation funding resources and share information with juvenile courts and their community-based service partners
    • Provide training on how to complete a successful application for Title II Formula Grant funding from Mississippi, Department of Public Safety
    • Provide training on the Risk-Needs-Responsivity Model of offender intervention
    • Provide training on evidence-based delinquency intervention and diversion programs
  • Solicit applications from juvenile courts and their community-based service partner(s) for mini-grant funding to implement diversion, delinquency intervention, and alternatives to detention programs and plan to fund 8 to 10 demonstration projects
  • Measure outcomes and program performance through a process and outcome evaluation
  • Develop and implement a sustainable strategy for reinvesting the resulting costs saved or averted into proven, effective prevention and intervention programs and services for youth