Grants of up to $50,000 to Alabama nonprofit community based organizations and local and state government agencies for research-based programs that prevent young people from entering the juvenile justice system. Funding is intended to support new or existing community-based projects that serve youth, parents, and family members. This program seeks to strengthen families and help keep youth in their homes by reducing risks and improving protective factors.

The LETS Division is now accepting applications for projects under Purpose Area: Community-Based Programs. These programs and services are those that work with:

1. Parents and other family members to strengthen families and to help keep youth in the home;
2. Youth and their families during and after confinement to ensure the youth’s safe return to the home and to strengthen the families.

The Title II Grants program is founded on a research-based framework that focuses on reducing risks and enhancing protective factors to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system. It offers funding to promote the development of effective programs to prevent delinquency, divert juveniles from the juvenile justice system, provide alternatives to institutionalization, and meet the requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2018. 

Each state that accepts funding through the JJDP Act must maintain compliance with the four Core Requirements of the Act as listed below. 

1. Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO): Youth who are charged with or who have committed an offense that would not be criminal if committed by an adult shall not be placed in secure detention facilities or secure correctional facilities.
2. Separation of Youth from Adults “Sight and Sound Separation”: A youth who is alleged to be delinquent will not be detained or confined in any institution in which they have contact with adult inmates.
3. Jail Removal: Provide that no youth will be detained or confined in any jail or lockup for adults except youth who are accused of non-status offenses and who are detained in such jail or lockup for a period not to exceed 6 hours.
4. Racial and Ethnic Disparity (RED): Reduce the disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system at all decision points.

Specific areas of focus that may be included in a program to assist juveniles and their families include but are not limited to:

• Parental training in effective communication and disciplining of children
• Substance abuse issues of parents and juveniles
• Domestic Violence
• Completing education/GED for juveniles
• Job/skills training (juveniles, Parents)
• Mental Health school-based programs (ages 9-17)
  

For examples of evidence-based programs available for this initiative, as well as allowable expenses, see Page 4 of the RFP in Supporting Documents, below.