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President Reveals Budget Proposal for FY 2011
On February 1, 2010, President Obama released his Budget Proposal for FY 2011, including proposed funding levels for programs administered by the Office of Justice Programs and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the U.S. Department of Justice.
In contrast to the FY 2010 budget proposal, the President’s FY 2011 budget proposes several new programs, and eliminates, reconfigures or combines several existing programs.
One of the most significant changes of note: unlike last year, the President’s proposes to eliminate all of the set-asides/earmarks on the JJDPA Title V program, proposing that a full $62 million be made available to the states for Title V purposes. This proposal marks a big step in the right direction, and is a testament to all of the education and advocacy efforts that CJJ members and allies have invested with OJP and OJJDP. Going forward, congressional appropriators have the authority to restore the earmarks/set-asides within the Title V program, and/or propose that these programs be separately funded.
In addition, for the second year in a row the President’s proposal eliminates the line item for all “demonstration programs,” which typically houses all of the congressional earmarks on justice programs, including juvenile justice programs. For FY 2010, this line item totaled $91 million. The President’s proposal is in keeping with CJJ’s formal position statement opposing earmarks on federal juvenile justice programs and appropriations, particularly earmarks that reduce or restrict available funding for the JJDPA Title II and Title V grant programs.
There remain some problematic areas that will require additional education and advocacy going forward. For example, the President’s FY 2011 budget proposal reduces the Title II allocation from $75 million to $72 million. The proposal also dramatically cuts the JABG allocation from $55 million to $40 million. Moreover, the President’s proposal still does not articulate funding for OJJDP that is distinct and/or differentiated from OJP.
Specifically, President Obama’s FY 2011 budget proposes funding for core federal juvenile justice programs at the following levels (new or eliminated uses for program dollars are italicized):
- $72 million for Title II programs (down from $75 million), including money within that figure for training and technical assistance to assist small, nonprofit organizations in states and localities with the federal grants process;
- $62 million for Title V, with no set-asides/earmarks;
- $40 million for JABG (down from $55 million);
- $45 million for youth mentoring programs (down from $100 million);
- $25 million to continue a grant program introduced in FY 2010 for “Community-based Violence Prevention Initiatives” (up from $10 million);
- $13 million for a new juvenile delinquency court improvement program;
- $806,000 for a DMC evaluation and pilot program; and
- $12 million to continue a gang and youth violence prevention and intervention program introduced in FY 2010 (up from $10 million, replaces G.R.E.A.T.).
- In addition, OJP (and presumably OJJDP) is able to use up to 10% of these program amounts ($29 million) for research and evaluation, and up to 2% of these program amounts ($5.8 million) for training and technical assistance.
In addition to core juvenile justice programs, the President’s FY 2011 budget proposal includes:
- $6 million for a Help Desk and Diagnostic Center to assist state, local and tribal governments, nonprofits and other OJP partners;
- $1 million – set aside out of larger pot of $70.8 million for general justice research, development and evaluation programs – to establish a website designed to inform criminal and juvenile justice communities regarding the latest developments in evidence-based and promising programs;
- $519 million (level-funded) for Byrne/JAG formula grants, including $7 million in carve-outs for specific purposes;
- $30 million for Byrne competitive grants (down from $40 million) to “improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency and to assist victims of crime;”
- $57 million for drug, mental health and problem-solving courts (level-funded);
- $37 million for a new initiative on Children Exposed to Violence to support research and to provide demonstration grants and training and technical assistance (in partnership with HHS);
- $10 for the court-appointed special advocate program (down from $15 million);
- $100 million for the Second Chance Act (level-funded), of which $4 million is specifically set-aside for reentry programs for juvenile drug offenders; and
- under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), four pots of youth-oriented funding:
- $14 million for safe havens for child victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and related crimes (level-funded);
- $3 million for prevention/intervention programs for men and youth (level-funded); $3.5 million for advocacy and counseling of youth victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and exploitation (level-funded); and
- $3 million (level-funded) to support projects that provide services to children and youth exposed to domestic violence.
For more information, or to share your comments, please contact CJJ Executive Director Nancy Gannon Hornberger at 202-467-0864, ext. 111 or nancy@juvjustice.org, or CJJ Deputy Executive Director Tara Andrews at 202-467-0864, ext. 109 or andrews@juvjustice.org.
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