December 17, 2009

Juvenile Justice: DOJ Is Enhancing Information on Effective Programs, but Could Better Assess the Utility of This Information

The United States Government Accountability Office knows that state juvenile justice systems face critical problems when it comes to juvenile delinquency issues such as reentry and substance abuse. GAO was asked to review juvenile reentry and substance abuse program research and efforts by the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to provide information on effective programs and cost-beneficial programs. This report addresses the expert opinion and available research on these types of reentry and substance abuse programs, the extent to which OJJDP assesses its efforts to disseminate information on effective programs, and OJJDP's plans to accomplish its research and evaluation goals. GAO, among other things, reviewed academic literature, and OJJDP's dissemination efforts and research goals. GAO recommends that OJJDP develop a cost-effective mechanism to regularly solicit and incorporate feedback from the juvenile justice field on the usefulness of information in the Model Programs Guide.