Resources

1. GJJC Re - Affirm Raise the Age Position Statement (November 2023)
2. Support AB48 and SB55, relating to Prosecuting or Adjudicating Delinquent a Person Under the Age of 18 for Committing an Act of Prostitution
3. Support Governor's 2023 - 2025 Juvenile Justice System Improvements in State Budget
4. GJJC Supports SB862 and AB856 - The GJJC sent a letter to the Wisconsin Legislature supporting Assembly Bill 856 and Senate Bill 862, relating to sentencing for crimes committed by a person who is under the age of 18. The proposed legislation takes up policies the GJJC recommended to incorporate into the 2020 Legislative Interim Research Report on Criminal Sentencing of Juvenile Offenders.
5. Support Regulating the Use of Restraints on Children in Juvenile Court (Juvenile Shackling) Petition Letter to WI Supreme Court (December 2021) - The Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission (GJJC) unanimously supported Rule Petition 21-04 to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin to amend Wis. Stats. §48.299 and §938.299 Regulating the Use of Restraints on Children in Juvenile Court. The Wisconsin Supreme Court voted to grant the petition on May 2, 2022. The new rule ends the practice of indiscriminately shackling children and establishes a presumption against shackling in juvenile court. The GJJC supported the proposed rule prohibiting the routine and indiscriminate use of restraints in juvenile court because it promotes the humane treatment of children, is consistent with evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, and strengthens the rehabilitative purpose of the juvenile justice system while maintaining safety. The rule does not impede the juvenile court’s authority to authorize shackling when the safety of court participants is at risk. To read the petition documents, visit the Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule Petition 21-04 page.
6. Support Governor's 2021 - 2023 Juvenile Justice System Improvements in State Budget
7. Legislative Study Report Recommendations (November 2020)
8. Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO) Recommendations to the Governor (May 2020)
9. COVID-19 Recommendations to the Governor (May 2020)
10. Re-Affirm 17-year-old Youth Return to the Juvenile Justice System (April 2019)

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.doj.state.wi.us/dles/grants/grants. 

Email the Juvenile Justice Specialist at Komrokr@doj.state.wi.us 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.

More information about the JJDPA Audit Process can be found within the Audit Information Sheet linked below.

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

Nominations are open for the Tony Maggiore Youth Excellence Award! The deadline to nominate yourself or a young person is August 30, 2024.

Eligible youth are:

• Between ages 16 to 28 years old.
• Previously under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system.
• Have made great strides, despite previous involvement in the juvenile justice system, in overcoming obstacles to improve their life and their community.

Please review the nomination packet for more details.

The GJJC presents the Tony Maggiore Youth Excellence Award to a remarkable young person in Wisconsin every two years. This award recognizes a youth person, having prior contact with the juvenile justice system, that has achieved personal success and has made positive contributions to their community. 

The award is in honor of the late, Tony Maggiore, who served on the GJJC for 17 years and was a tireless advocate for people living in poverty. Tony helped wage Milwaukee’s war on poverty for more than 20 years as the Associate Director of the Social Development Commission (SDC). He was an outspoken and steadfast voice to push reforms that would reduce the disparities present in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Tony often described his philosophy as, “You just keep pushing and pushing. You don’t give up.”

 The GJJC is honored to present the 2022 Tony Maggiore Youth Excellence Award to Dylan Matyshak.  Congratulations to Dylan and his nominator, Lindsey Reckelberg, School Social Worker at Denmark School District. 

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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