OJJDP’s Grant for Family-Based Alternative Justice Programs to Promote Family Unification

OJJDP’s guiding philosophy is to enhance the welfare of America’s youth and broaden their opportunities for a better future. To bring these goals to fruition, OJJDP is leading efforts to transform the juvenile justice system into one that will Treat Children as Children; Serve Children at Home, With Their Families, in their Communities; and Open Up Opportunities for System-Involved Youth. OJJDP encourages all proposed applications that work with youth to highlight how the proposed program aligns with these priorities.

OJJDP envisions a juvenile justice system centered on the strengths, needs, and voices of youth and families. Young people and family members with lived experience are vital resources for understanding and reaching persons involved or at risk of involvement with youth-serving systems. OJJDP asks stakeholders to join us in sustainably integrating bold, transformative youth and family partnership strategies into our daily work. OJJDP believes in achieving positive outcomes for youth, families, and communities through meaningful engagement and active partnerships, ensuring they play a central role in collaboratively developing solutions.

Applicants must describe how their proposed project/program will integrate and sustain meaningful youth and family partnerships into their project plan and budget. Depending on the nature of an applicant’s proposed project, youth and family partnership could consist of one or more of the following:

Individual-level partnership in case planning and direct service delivery (before, during, and after contact with youth-serving systems).
Agency-level partnership (e.g., in policy, practice, and program development, implementation, and evaluation; staffing; advisory bodies; budget development).
System-level partnership (e.g., in strategic planning activities, system improvement initiatives, advocacy strategies, reform efforts).

One in ten of the nation’s children have a parent under criminal justice control—in jail or prison, or on probation or parole.[1] Separation due to incarceration can cause trauma and long-lasting harm to children, their parents and caregivers, families, and communities. With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to keep families together by helping states and communities implement new, or enhance existing, community-based alternative justice programs that divert justice-involved parents/primary caregivers from incarceration, promote the unification of families, prevent children from entering the foster care and/or juvenile justice systems, and allow parents or primary caregivers involved with the justice system to remain united with their children to improve family outcomes.

[1] Martin, E. (2017). “Hidden consequences: The impact of incarceration on dependent children.” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/hidden-consequences-impact-incarceration-dependent-children.