State Budget Becomes Law: JCPC and Detention see Increases  
 
The Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention saw a number of changes in the 2008 – 2009 State budget just signed into law:  restoring and increasing Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) funding; gaining state operated detention center positions; funding a Multipurpose Juvenile Home in Macon County; eliminating Eckerd Effort funding; and reducing administrative funding for Support Our Students (SOS).
 
The Department joined with many who work with youth throughout the State in praising the restoration of $22.6 Million in Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) funding.  Secretary George L. Sweat stated, “I am pleased lawmakers understood and saw the importance of JCPC funding.”  Sweat added, “JCPC funding directly impacts the public safety issues which define every community and county across the State.  By restoring the funding, legislators made a smart decision to spend money on prevention efforts rather than on more costly juvenile justice services or adult jails and prisons.”

Having JCPC funding returned to the Department’s budget concludes a yearlong process undertaken by Department staff, JCPC members, and program providers to answer questions that legislators asked in a Continuation Review Special Provision last year.  The General Assembly not only restored the JCPC funding, they returned the funding to recurring status and increased it by $500,000.  The State budget also included several special provisions on JCPC funding including: revising the JCPC funding formula; requiring a JCPC effectiveness study; and enhancing the JCPC grant reporting and certification report.

State operated detention centers will also benefit from this year’s budget by gaining 30 additional positions.  Legislators asked the Department to complete a detention center study last year.  As a result of that study, the Department asked for additional positions to increase the safety, security, and services provided to juveniles while in the care of a detention center.  Although the Department did not receive all the positions it requested, management was pleased that in a tight budget year legislators were able to respond to some of the staffing needs of detention centers.

The Department was also allocated $600,000 to contract with the Methodist Home for Children to operate a Multipurpose Juvenile Home in Macon County.  The Macon County Home has already opened its doors, but this funding will allow it to continue to operate in the future.  The home has filled a need for services in the western part of the State.  Before the Macon County Home opened, the furthest west home in the state was in Alamance County. 

Funding to operate the Eckerd Effort project was eliminated because of complications with implementation related.  The Department also saw a reduction in administrative funding for SOS and was not given funding to begin construction on phase II of the youth development center replacement building project.  To see a copy of the entire budget, visit the General Assembly’s website.