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Crowd of JCPC Program Providers Attend Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Forum on the State of Juvenile Justice in North Carolina
 Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) program providers crowded into a juvenile justice forum hosted by the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention on January 10, 2008, at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center in Raleigh, N.C. The forum provided an overview of the juvenile justice system in North Carolina as well as information about the upcoming Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) Continuation Review.
The Department partners with JCPCs in each county across the state to galvanize community leaders to reduce and prevent juvenile crime. The General Assembly allocates approximately twenty-three million dollars annually to the JCPCs to support local programs and services. This past legislative session the General Assembly instituted a continuation review of JCPC programs in order to examine their overall effectiveness. The use of continuation review for the JCPCs puts the $23 million in funding these programs receive into question and may significantly impact program operations. Restoration of funds for these programs in fiscal year 2008-2009 is dependent upon the findings of the continuation review. This will impact community programs in all 100 North Carolina counties with the potential for over 24,000 youth annually to not be able to participate in JCPC programs.
“There is no other resource more valuable than our youth,” said Department Secretary George L. Sweat. “We must re-focus our efforts on youth and families, re-emphasize the need for prevention, re-evaluate our public safety efforts, and restore the JCPC funding in order to enhance prevention efforts and public safety in our communities.”
A presentation on the Department’s plan for the JCPC Continuation Review report was given by Fred West, Community Programs State Administrator. West outlined the work that has been done at the local and state levels to compile the continuation review report and provided an update on the contents of the report. Additionally, dialog and input from program providers and community members were given. Major concerns were publicly made as to the impact the lack of JCPC funding would have on the youth and families of North Carolina.
The Department will submit the continuation review report to the North Carolina General Assembly on February 1, 2008.
For more information about the forum, JCPCs, or to obtain input about the continuation review process, contact Fred West at fred.west@ncmail.net
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