Every year, the CNMI receives federal funds through the U.S. Department of Justice under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2002.
CJPA will be the leading CNMI agency to receive the grant and ensure that the goals of DOJ are implemented.
“The Criminal Justice Planning Agency is the designated state agency responsible for establishing, developing and implementing a strategy for achieving, maintaining and monitoring jails, detention facilities, correctional facilities, and non-secure facilities, which might hold juveniles pursuant to public authority and regardless of the purpose of housing juveniles, to ensure compliance with the Core Protection Requirements of the Act,” stated the governor’s E.O. 2010-07 which he signed on June 29.
Part of CJPA’s mandates is to inspect juvenile facilities and review juvenile records.
“With the reauthorization of the Act in 2002, a second important goal was to protect juveniles in the juvenile justice system from inappropriate placements and from the harm, both psychological and physical, that can occur as a result of exposure to adult inmates,” the E.O. further stated.
CJPA must collect data about juveniles and their offenses.
