Former OJJDP Administrator to House Judiciary Subcommittee: OJJDP needs improvement.

Written by Biloxi
September 22, 2008

The House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime, terrorism, and homeland security held an oversight hearing on the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Oversight last week. Center for Juvenile Justice Reform Director Shay Bilchik testified as an expert witness on the subject of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Mr. Bilchik was the former OJJDP Administrator for the Justice Department 1994 until 2000. Mr.Bilchik was replaced with J. Robert Flores who is the current OJJDP Administrator and is currently under investigation for questionable grant decision making process for religious and political agenda for the Bush Administration.

Some key points that I picked up from Mr. Bilchik's testimony posted on the Center of Juvenile Reform website. Mr. Bilchik focused on six main areas of improvement that OJJDP should pursue: "1) realigning the agency’s focus to the JJDPA [Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act ] and its core protections, 2) focusing on assistance to States, 3) restoring the comprehensive nature of the agency, 4) engaging the juvenile justice field, 5) increasing transparency, and 6) developing the juvenile justice workforce."

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