In 1998, as a result of much hard work and planning, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act was passed. The Act mandated that the Juvenile Service Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Division of Youth Services and Division of Human Services be merged to form a single office that would be directly administrated by the Governor. The "new" office of Juvenile Justice is more responsive and comprehensive in policy and planning.

The intent of the General Assembly was to prevent juveniles who are at risk from becoming delinquent. The primary intent of this part is to develop community-based alternatives to training schools and to provide community-based delinquency and substance abuse prevention strategies and programs. Also, it was the intent of the General Assembly to provide non-instructional alternatives that will protect the community and the juveniles.

Additionally, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act required county commissioners to appoint a new Juvenile Crime Prevention Council to enhance and replace all existing Youth Services Advisory Councils (CBA Boards).

Governor Hunt's goal was to have a single portal of entry of all funding streams flowing from the state to the local level.

Those programs and services shall be planned and organized at the community level and developed in partnership with the State. Those planning efforts shall include appropriate representation from local government, local public and private agencies serving juveniles and their families, local business leaders, citizens with an interest in youth problems, youth representative, and others as may be appropriate in a community. The planning bodies at the local level shall be the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.

1. Purpose and Intent ( N.C.G.S. 147 - 33.60)
1. Prevent - juveniles at risk from becoming delinquent.
2. Provide - community based alternatives to training schools, and delinquency and substance abuse prevention strategies and programs.
3. Protect - community and juveniles through the development and use of non-institutional dispositional alternatives, when appropriate.
2. Service Delivery
1. Planned and organized at the community level.
2. Developed in partnership with the state.
3. Membership
1. Representative of local government, local public and private agencies serving juveniles and their families, local business, concerned citizens, and others. (N.C.G.S. 147 - 33.61)
2. Not more than 25 members who reflect the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the community.
3. Two-year terms, (staggered). Appointed July 1. (N.C.G.S. 147-33.62)
4. Meet monthly - defines quorum as majority of membership, i.e. 25 members must have 13 present to conduct business. (N.C.G.S. 147-33.64)
4. Duties (N.C.G.S. 147 - 33.66)
1. Assess needs of delinquent and at risk juveniles in the community, (annual and ongoing).
2. Evaluate available resources to meet those needs.
3. Advertise a request for proposals, and submit a written plan for the expenditure of Intervention/Prevention Funds giving priority for funding of intermediate and community level sanctions for adjudicated juveniles.
4. Evaluate the performance of funded programs and services in the community, and successful evaluation shall be a condition of continued funding.
5. Increase public awareness of the issues surrounding delinquency and prevention.
6. Develop strategies and interventions that appropriately respond to and treat the needs of juveniles.
7. Fund treatment, counseling, or rehabilitation services for juveniles and their families; including parent responsibility classes.
8. Plan for the establishment of permanent funding streams for delinquency prevention services.

The JCPC annually reviews the needs of juveniles in the County who are at risk of delinquency and/or who have been adjudicated by the court. Simultaneously, the Council surveys the resources available to address those needs, and prioritizes community risk factors for youth for families, and for the community, and determines the services needed to address those problem areas.

The grant cycle begins in December of each year, when the Council advertises the availability of funding and solicits requests from service providers in a Request for Proposals (RFP). Thereafter, agencies submit written proposals and make presentations to the Council at the scheduled January meeting. After hearing all presentations, the Council devises its funding recommendations, which it then submits to the Board of County Commissioners for their consideration during budget deliberations in May.

Please refer to the NC Dept of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention website for application forms: www.ncdjjdp.org/jcpc/forms.html