“This initiative will provide funding to (1) develop and implement standards of policy and practice to effectively manage well-resourced, statewide juvenile indigent defense systems; (2) develop state or regional resource centers to help state, tribal, and local juvenile defense systems enhance the quality of legal representation, leverage resources, and collect and analyze data to measure the effectiveness of specific initiatives; and (3) support community-based nonprofit organizations that provide direct civil legal services, mentoring, and reentry planning to youth in out-of-home placement who are transitioning or have recently transitioned back to their families and communities. The organizations would provide the youth with direct civil legal services, mentoring, and collective advocacy strategies to address the collateral consequences of justice system involvement and overcome barriers to securing housing, education, and employment to reduce recidivism. This initiative will provide cost-effective and innovative training for the juvenile indigent defense bar, including public defenders and court-appointed counsel working on behalf of juvenile indigent defendants, particularly in traditionally underserved locations, including rural areas.”
Excerpted from OJJDP FY 2017 Smart on Juvenile Justice: Enhancing Youth Access to Justice Initiative RFP