June 2003
J. Robert Flores, Administrator
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Access OJJDP publications online at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp
A recently enacted federal law restructures
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delin-
quency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) funding
activity, introducing a number of signifi-
cant changes that take effect in fiscal year
2004 (beginning October 1, 2003). Among
these changes are new provisions for the
funding of juvenile offender accountability
programs. The Juvenile Accountability
Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) program
will be known as the Juvenile Accountabil-
ity Block Grants (JABG) program, and sev-
eral program elements have been revised.1
The underlying premise of juvenile account-
ability programming is that young people
who violate the law should be held account-
able for their offenses through the swift,
consistent application of sanctions that
are proportionate to the offenses—both
as a matter of basic justice and as a way
to combat delinquency and improve the
quality of life in the nation’s communities.
The program’s goal is to reduce juvenile
offending through accountability-based
initiatives focused on both the offender
and the juvenile justice system.
In the transition from JAIBG to JABG, the
underlying premise remains the same. The
transition is a matter of expanding purpose
areas, adjusting funding levels, and refining
processes for determining eligibility, allo-
cating funds, and monitoring activities.
This Bulletin provides an overview of the
JABG program, focusing on new provisions.
It compares selected JABG and JAIBG pro-
gram elements, answers frequently asked
questions, and identifies sources of addi-
tional information.
Background
The JAIBG program was established to
strengthen the juvenile justice system by
encouraging states and local jurisdictions
to implement accountability-based pro-
grams and services.2 OJJDP awards block
grants to states, which must pass through
at least 75 percent of