Coordinating Council Charts Course for the Future

January 27th, 2010 -The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, chaired by Attorney General Eric Holder, held its quarterly meeting this week in Washington, DC. As an independent body within the executive branch of the federal government, the Council works to improve the coordination of federally funded youth programs.

During the meeting the council unanimously approved a 2010 workplan and identified priority issues for interagency collaboration. The four issues the Council plans to focus on are:

• Education and At-Risk Youth

• Tribal Youth and Juvenile Justice

• Juvenile Reentry

• Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System and Related Systems.

This year, “issue teams” will conduct in-depth assessments for each priority issue and produce a set of recommendations that will be incorporated into the Council’s next Annual Report to Congress. A representative from the Department of Justice and a representative from one of the Council’s member agencies will co-chair each team.

At monthly meetings, the teams will analyze policies, legislation, budgets, regulations, and practices to identify those that foster and those that hinder effective collaboration between federal, state, and local partners. They will develop recommendations for enhancing the federal practice of coordinated assistance. Each team aims to find ways to improve access to and use of resources by state and local stakeholders that will improve the well-being of children and families.

The list of council priorities is just the beginning. In the coming years, as the Council moves ahead in its work, there will be the opportunity to add other areas of concentration. This is not the end of the line; it is just the beginning.

Attorney General Holder emphasized that the Department of Justice will place a high priority on the Council’s activities going forward. Working together, we hope to make a significant difference in the lives of at-risk youth and their families who so urgently need our help.