NCJJ Services

There are 51 juvenile justice systems in this country, each with its own history, its own set of laws and policies, its own unique organizational, administrative, and fiscal structures. Even within a single state, mandates developed by the state legislature and governor's office must be interpreted and implemented by a multitude of local officials, under widely varying conditions, and with widely varying effects. Without a thorough understanding of this background complexity, no broad question of juvenile justice practice or policy can be adequately answered, no legal generalization can be meaningful, and no descriptive statistic can be useful.

Our staff has worked to become a kind of all-around information clearinghouse and consultant-on-call for the nation's juvenile and family courts and probation departments - providing them with the kind of detailed, timely, accurate, and user-friendly information and advice they need to do their vital work. We keep current on all aspects of juvenile and family law (both statutory and case law), and track and maintain historical information on these issues. Since the beginning, our work has been guided by the belief that the primary purpose of research is to support decision-making. The Center has become the source to which most people turn for accurate and unbiased information on juvenile crime and the juvenile justice system in the United States. Our work over the years has shown that through data collection, relevant analysis, and thoughtful presentation, research results can guide policy development and practice.