For more information:
State of Alaska
Dept of Health & Social Services
Division of Juvenile Justice
240 Main Street, Suite 701
P.O. Box 110635
Juneau, AK 99811-0635
Hss.djj@alaska.gov
Tel: (907) 465-2212
Fax: (907) 465-2333
The Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention Act
Alaska receives federal grant funds appropriated by Congress under the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDP Act) of 1974, as amended, to develop effective delinquency prevention and intervention programs. These funds are administered through the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), with assistance from the Alaska Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (AJJAC).
To qualify for these funds, Alaska must comply with the following four core mandates of the JJDP Act. The mandates are based on research that shows these practices reduce the risk of harm to incarcerated youth:
- Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders
- Youth who are charged with status offenses should not be placed in locked detention or correctional facilities. Status offenses are behaviors that are not criminal when committed by adults, such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and violating curfew.
- Sight and Sound Separation of Juvenile and Adult Offenders
- Youth who are temporarily held in adult jails or lock-ups should not have sight or sound with adult inmates.
- Removal of Juveniles from Adult Jails and Lock-ups
- Youth who are accused of delinquent acts should not be held for processing in adult jails or lock-ups for more than 6 hours.
- Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Juvenile Justice System
- Any overrepresentation of minority youth in the Juvenile Justice System should be identified and eliminated.
About AJJAC
Contact Information
Angelina Ahrens
angelina.ahrens@alaska.gov
Division of Juvenile Justice
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
PO Box 110635
Juneau, AK 99811-0635
Phone: (907) 465-3855
Fax: (907) 465-2333
TDD: (907) 465-3196