The way in which young people are treated in the criminal justice system often is at odds with research findings about how and when humans develop mature moral, psychological, and cognitive capacities.

Purpose
The Foundation supports research, model programs, policy analysis, and public education related to juvenile justice. The goal of this work is to promote an effective juvenile justice system that is linked to relevant agencies, is acknowledged to play a critical role in the community, and is held accountable for public safety and the rehabilitation of young offenders.

Strategies
The Foundation supports efforts to:

• Expand knowledge about the origins, development, prevention, and treatment of juvenile crime and delinquency. This grantmaking includes support for the Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice whose current areas of research include competence and accountability, desistance from criminal behavior, and disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system.
• Through the Models for Change: System Reform in Juvenile Justice initiative, develop and promote demonstrations of systems reform in selected states to serve as models for other jurisdictions.   Selected sites are Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana and Washington.
• Foster the development of information, resources, tools, and applications that the targeted sites and others can draw upon in the implementation of system change strategies.

Funding
The Foundation is not accepting unsolicited proposals for grant-funded work in juvenile justice at this time.  Recipients are identified through staff deliberations resulting from consultations with current grantees and others in the field.

Questions about this grantmaking area can be e-mailed to justice at the MacArthur Foundation.