Belknap County Community Justice Web Site
Prevention and Juvenile Justice Glossary
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JAIBG (Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant)

A formula grant program from the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention issued to states and eligible units of local government designed to build accountability skills in juveniles.

JRSA

Justice Research and Statistics Association

A decision made in response to a petition asking the court to adjudicate or transfer the youth; determination usually made by a juvenile court judge.

Judicial waiver

The process of relinquishing a juvenile to the adult court; also known as certifying or binding over to the adult court.

Juvenile

In NH, this is an unmarried person 17 years or younger alleged to be dependent, in need of services, or from a family in need of services.

Juvenile Correction Facility

Any public or private residential facility designed to physically restrict movement and activities of juveniles; houses adjudicated juveniles who have committed serious offenses usually until age 17. The Youth Detention Center (YDC) in Manchester serves as New Hampshire's secure correction facility for adjudicated juveniles who have committed serious offenses.

Juvenile Court

The branch of the judiciary that has legal responsibility for youth (in NH, under the age of 17;) a civil court that adjudicates cases of youth thought to be abused, neglected, or dependent or accused of some delinquent or status offense.

Juvenile Detention Facility

Any public or private residential facility that can physically restrict movement and activities where juveniles who have committed serious offenses can be temporarily placed while awaiting a court disposition; YDSU in Concord serves as the temporary secure detention facility for those NH youth, alleged to have committed serious offenses and awaiting their dispositional hearing.

Juvenile Probation and Parole Officer

State employees whose job is to monitor juvenile offenders through the court system. They provide tracking, probation supervision, and case management services.

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Kent v U.S. (1966)

Case that determined that a special hearing is required before any juveniles can be transferred to adult court

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Larceny-theft

The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession of another

Lead Agency

The agency with the primary responsibility for program or project oversight.

Liquor laws

State and/or local liquor law violations, except drunkenness and driving under the influence; federal violations are excluded.

Local governance

The decision-making process by which a community takes responsibility for advancing strategies that will achieve results

Local investment

Private community funds and other resources that support the community plan.

Logic Model

A flowchart or graphic display representing the logical connections between program activities and program goals. An inclusive process that helps groups, organizations, individuals or communities thoroughly analyze problems. The Logic Model provides a framework for examining behaviors and the patterns, trends and individual attributes that support the behaviors. Groups are then able to take an informed proactive approach to develop strategies that intentionally transition from the current conditions and related behaviors to the desired conditions and behaviors.

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Mandate

A duty required by law or rule.

Manner of handling

A general classification of case processing within the juvenile court system:

Petitioned (formally handled) cases are those that appear on the official court calendar after the filing of a petition requesting the court (1) to adjudicate the youth as delinquent or (2) to waive the youth to criminal court for processing as an adult

Non-petitioned (informally handled) cases are those cases that duly authorized court personnel can screen for adjustment without the filing of a formal petition. Such personnel include judges, referees, probation officers, other officers of the court, and/or agency statutorily designated to conduct petition screening for the juvenile court.

Matching Grant

A grant made to match funds provided through another source.

Media Advocacy

The strategic use of media as a resource for advancing a social or public policy initiative.

Mediation

A process by which a neutral party, called a mediator, encourages and facilitates the resolution of a dispute between two or more parties. The objective of this informal and non-adversarial process is to help the parties reach a mutually acceptable and voluntary agreement. The mediator's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, assisting the parties in identifying issues, fostering joint problem solving, and exploring settlement alternatives.

Mentoring

A program that links youths with adult role models, mentors, or positive peers; voluntarily spending time with a child on a regular basis; sharing his or her free time in activities such as playing sports or games, shopping, taking hikes, helping with homework, and doing chores. Formal mentoring programs may require the volunteer to have a criminal background check prior to acting as a mentor.

Mini Grant

A relatively small grant ranging from just a few to several thousand dollars; a Mini Grant is typically a set amount and the proposed project is designed to fit this amount. A normal grant program sets a range of grant award amounts such as $250,000 to $1.5 million, the grant request determined by the budget requirements.

Misdemeanor

A classification of crime; misdemeanors are less serious than felonies and are ranked one through three with one being the most serious.

Mission

A statement of an entity's purpose and reason for being.

Multidisciplinary assessment

Evaluation of a client that can include a psychiatric review, a physical examination, and a social circumstances report; completed by experts from different fields as prelude to adjudicatory and dispositional hearings

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NCJRS

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

Needs assessment

An evaluation of the issues or challenges of a community's residents, groups, associations, and formal institutions.

Neglect

Parental failure to provide a child with the basic necessities when able to do so; includes a variety of forms of abuse that do not require the element of intent

NH JusticeWorks

An applied research consortium of academics, criminal justice professionals, and policymakers who work collaboratively to address timely and pressing issues in crime and the administration of justice. Founded in 1999 at the University of New Hampshire to extend the institution's land grant mission to the criminal justice system, Justiceworks has three main missions:

" Provide accessible, timely, and affordable evaluations of state and local programs aimed at minimizing crime and delinquency

" Provide useful and current information about crime and crime control strategies to planners, policy makers, and those working within or interested in the field of criminal justice, and

" Develop and provide new training opportunities in criminal justice to multiple audiences within the justice system in the region.

NIC

National Institution of Corrections

NIDA

National Institute on Drug Abuse

NIJ

National Institute of Justice

Non Profit

An organization described under section 501 c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is exempt from taxation under 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

NSA

National Sheriffs' Association

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OJJDP - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The federal agency established with the passage of the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to deinstitutionalize status offenders. Responsibilities include providing national leadership, coordination, and resources designed to prevent and respond to juvenile offending and child victimization; this agency is housed with the US Department of Justice

OJP

Office of Justice Programs; a division of the US Department of Justice

OMB

Office of Management and Budget; the Federal branch of the Executive Office of the President that oversees the Administration's procurement, financial management, information, and regulatory policies.helps formulate his spending plans, evaluates the effectivenss of agency programs, policies, and procedures; assess competing funding demands among agencies; and sets funding priorities.

ONDCP

Office of National Drug Control Policy

Operating Grant

A grant awarded to further the purpose or work of the organization rather than for a specific purpose of project, also called an Unrestricted or General Operating Support Grant.

Outcome (juvenile justice)

The status of a juvenile in relation to delinquent behavior after completion of a program or services; the extent of the change in the original conditions that led to the juvenile being referred for services

Outcomes (Other)

Measurable changes observed on specific objectives.

Outward Bound

A wilderness-type survival program that is popular in many states as an alternative to institutionalization.

OVC

Office of Victims of Crime

Parens patriae

This medieval English doctrine sanctioned the right of the Crown to intervene in natural family relations whenever a child's welfare was threatened. The philosophy of the juvenile court is based on this legal concept

Parole

Release of a juvenile delinquent from custodial confinement or jail to the community where they are monitored by JPPO's for the length of their juvenile commitment (sentence) to the Youth Detention Center.

Performance measure

The degree of effectiveness of an entity and/or supports, services, and programs.

Petition

A document filed in juvenile court that (1)alleges a juvenile is a delinquent or a status offender, (2) asks the court to assume jurisdiction over the juvenile, or (3) asks that an alleged delinquent be waived to criminal court for prosecution as an adult

Planning Grant

A grant providing an organization the resources to research a problem and/or to plan the solution to a problem. Planning Grants are often part of a two-step process and may be followed by a project or implementation grant resulting from the Planning Grant.

Plea

In a juvenile case, a plea of "true" corresponds with "guilty" and a plea of "not true" corresponds with "not guilty".

Pleading

In juvenile court, a plea of "not true" (not guilty) will move the case to adjudication; a plea of "true" (guilty) will result in waiver of the right to trial. State procedures vary widely.

Positivism

This view has been the dominant philosophical perspective of juvenile justice since the juvenile court was established at the beginning of the 20th century. It holds that, just as laws operate in the medical, biological, and physical sciences, law govern human behavior, and these can be understood and used. The causes of human behavior, once discovered, can be modified to eliminate many of society's problems, such as delinquency.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Youth with PTSD have experienced a traumatic event and often have nightmares about the traumatic event or flashbacks. Youths who have witnessed domestic violence in their homes may suffer from PTSD. Many youth with PTSD are unable to manage their emotions and consequently may become involved with the juvenile justice system.

Prevention (Juvenile Justice)

All prevention efforts address the causes rather than the symptoms of a problem; prevention strategies are an investment in public safety and help prevent juveniles from entering the juvenile justice system. Prevention measures for children and families include those strategies designed to keep youth out of the court system and may include substance abuse prevention programs, court diversion, mediation programs, anger management training, mentorship programs, opportunities for meaningful community service etc.

Prevention (Other)

The active process of creating conditions or individual attributes that promotes the well being of people. The goal of prevention is to strengthen or develop protective factors.

" Universal prevention approaches are directed toward a general population.

" Selective prevention approaches target groups at greater risk of developing negative behaviors

" Indicated prevention approaches target individuals who have known, identified risks for developing negative behaviors.

Prevention Science

A body of research-based knowledge including etiology (cause), epidemiology (occurrence and distribution), and intervention on a variety of health and social problems, including but not limited to substance abuse, mental health, HIV/AIDS, violence, accidents, teenage pregnancy, suicide, delinquency, STDs, obesity, diet/nutrition, exercise, and chronic illness.

Principle

A lesson learned from experience and published in the literature; a theoretical basis for planning effective strategies.

Private non-profit

A non-governmental entity that is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes; also referred to a 501 C(3) organization.

Probation

The conditional freedom granted by a judge to a juvenile offender, as long as the juvenile meets certain conditions of behavior. Juvenile Probation and Parole Officers (JPPO) are responsible for monitoring the juvenile on probation.

Progressive Sanctions

An array of increasingly restrictive dispositional options available to the juvenile court to ensure that delinquent youth receive the punishment and treatment most appropriate to their offense; referred to as "graduated sanctions"

Project Grant

Also called a Discretionary Grant, a Project Grant funds a specific project for a specific length of time. The expectation is that other funds will be found to continue the project once the grant period ends.

Prosecute

To initiate legal or criminal court action; to seek to enforce or obtain by legal action; to initiate and conduct legal proceedings; to act as prosecutor

Protective Custody

Emergency, temporary custody by a child welfare agency, police agency, or hospital for reasons of imminent danger to the child; a hearing must be held for the benefit of the parents within a few days.

Protective factors

Factors and processes that build resilience in a group, organization, individual, or community and help buffer the effects of Risk Factors. The three main categories of protective factors are the presence of strong personal characteristics in a child, positive and meaningful relationships with an adult(s), and clear community standards of conduct. Also referred to as assets.

Provider

Any person or entity that is paid to deliver services and/or supports to families or children.

Psychotherapy

A treatment method in which various adaptations of Freudian therapy are used by psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatric social workers to encourage delinquents to talk about past conflicts that cause them to express emotional problems through aggressive or antisocial behavior.

Psychotropic Medication

Prescription medications that effect the psychic function, behavior, or experience of the person for whom they are prescribed

Public agency

A governmental entity that delivers supports, services, and/or programs funded by public dollars.

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