Resources

As the State Administering Agency for federal justice grant funds, the Wisconsin Department of Justice develops statewide strategies, determines funding priorities, and advises the Governor and legislature on justice policy issues.

Grant Opportunities

Title II Federal Funding Initiatives

There are no grants currently open for applications. Visit the Wisconsin Department of Justice grants page for the most up to date grant opportunities: https://www.wisdoj.gov/Pages/Grants/grants.aspx. 

Email the Juvenile Justice Specialist at Kiley.Komro@wisdoj.gov to be added to the grants email distribution list. 

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), was enacted in 1974.  This landmark legislation established the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the United States Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) to support states, local communities, and tribes in developing prevention, diversion, treatment, and rehabilitation training, education, and reform efforts in delinquency prevention and juvenile justice system improvement.

The Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA) of 2018 was signed into law in December 2018, reauthorizing and substantially amending the JJDPA. The amendments made by the JJRA became effective in FY 2020 (October 1, 2019). 

Core Requirements of the JJDPA

To be eligible for Title II formula funding, states must meet OJJDP-determined annual thresholds for the following core requirements of the JJDPA:

1. Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO) Sect. 223(a)(11)(A) – not placing status offenders (truants, curfew violators, runaways, etc.) in secure detention or correctional settings
2. Removing Juveniles Charged as Adults (In the Interest of Justice) Sect.223(a)(11)(B) – not detaining or confining juveniles charged as adults in adult jails or lockups unless the court makes certain findings
3. Sight or Sound Separation of Juveniles from Adult Inmates Sect. 223(a)(12) – not detaining or confining juveniles in any institution in which they have sight or sound contact with adult inmates
4. Removal of Juveniles from Adult Jails and Lockups Requirement (JR) Sect. 223(a)(13) – not detaining or confining juveniles in adult jails or lockups, subject to certain exceptions
5. Reduction of Racial and Ethnic Disparities Requirement (R/ED) Sect. 223(a)(15) – identifying and reducing racial and ethnic disparities among youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

As required under the JJDPA, Wisconsin DOJ compliance monitors conduct audits of jails, detention centers, court holdings, municipal lockups, law enforcement agencies, secure mental health agencies, and correctional facilities. Some of these site audits are completed in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC). Any facility that has a secure characteristic; namely, locking interview room, locking holding cell, cuffing bench/bar/rail; must be inspected once every three years.

In addition to facility audits, DOJ compliance staff collect data and review records supplied by each agency. 

As an example, The Wisconsin JJDPA Annual Survey is linked below.

JJDPA Annual Survey

Juveniles Charged as Adults Checklist

Juveniles Charged as Adults Decision Tree

Valid Court Order (VCO) Bench Card

Valid Court Order (VCO) Exception Checklist

Updated Compliance Requirements – Amendments to the Act by the Juvenile Justice Reform Act

Congress passed the Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA) in December 2018. This Act, which was effective October 2019, has made some amendments to the JJDPA. The following education memos have been distributed to the designated stakeholders. 

223(a)(11)(B) Removing Juveniles Charged as Adults  

Amendments to the JJDPA Fact Sheet

Court Holdings – Records Education Memo

State

1. Raise The Age Wisconsin
2. Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
3. Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - YASI
4. Wisconsin Juvenile Court Intake Assn
5. Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health
6. Youth Justice Wisconsin

Federal and Other 

1. Coalition for Juvenile Justice
2. National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges
3. National Center for Juvenile Justice
4. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention