§11103 Definitions

Summary

Sets plain meanings for words used in this chapter about juvenile justice. It lists 45 short definitions so people know what terms like “community based,” “secure detention facility,” and “evidence-based” mean here. “Community based” — small group homes or nearby programs with community input that offer medical, school, job, counseling, substance‑treatment, and other rehab services; “Federal juvenile delinquency program” — any juvenile program run or helped by a federal agency, including those the chapter funds; “juvenile delinquency program” — any program about preventing, treating, or studying juvenile crime, including drug and alcohol work and system improvements; “Bureau of Justice Assistance,” “Office of Justice Programs,” “National Institute of Justice,” and “Bureau of Justice Statistics” — the named federal offices; “Administrator” — the agency head named elsewhere in the chapter; “law enforcement and criminal justice” — police, courts, prosecutors, defenders, corrections, probation/parole, and related crime‑prevention activities; “State” — the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; “unit of local government” — cities, counties, towns, similar subdivisions, certain law or judicial districts with budget powers, and certain DC or federal agencies doing law enforcement in DC or a Trust Territory; “combination” — a group of States or local units working together on a juvenile justice plan; “construction” — building work, remodels, expansion, initial equipment, and architects’ fees, but not buying land; “public agency” — a State, local unit, combination of them, or one of their departments or agencies; “secure detention facility” — a locked residential place that limits movement used temporarily for juveniles accused of offenses; “secure correctional facility” — a locked residential place that limits movement used after a juvenile is adjudicated or an adult is convicted; “serious crime” — a list of major offenses such as criminal homicide, forcible rape and other felony sex crimes, mayhem, kidnapping, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, robbery, felony theft, motor vehicle theft, burglary, violent extortion, and felony arson; “treatment” — medical, educational, special education, social, psychological, job services, guidance, training, and other rehab including addiction services; “valid court order” — an order from a juvenile court judge given to a juvenile who was brought before the court and who received full constitutional due process beforehand; “Council” — the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention named in the chapter; “Indian tribe” — a federally recognized tribe or an Alaskan Native organization with a law‑enforcement function as decided by the Secretary of the Interior with the Attorney General; “comprehensive and coordinated system of services” — a system that preserves families, uses the least restrictive settings, finds and helps at‑risk young children and their families early, boosts agency and family cooperation, and promotes public‑private partnerships; “gender‑specific services” — services for needs unique to a person’s gender; “home‑based alternative services” — services given at home as an alternative to locking up a juvenile, including home detention; “jail or lockup for adults” — a secure place for holding adult inmates; “nonprofit organization” — a 501(c)(3) tax‑exempt organization; “graduated sanctions” — a stepwise set of accountability measures, incentives, treatments, and services for juvenile offenders; “sight or sound contact” — any clear physical, visual, or verbal contact that is not brief or accidental; “adult inmate” — someone who has reached the age of full criminal responsibility under state law and is in custody or convicted, but not someone who was below the state’s juvenile age limit at the time of the offense and placed under juvenile authority; “violent crime” — murder or nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, or aggravated assault with a firearm; “collocated facilities” — facilities in the same building or on the same grounds as part of a complex; “related complex of buildings” — two or more buildings that share physical features or services, or the specialized services allowed by federal rule as of December 10, 1996; “core requirements” — the chapter’s listed core rules (excluding certain data‑collection rules); “chemical agent” — a spray or injection to temporarily incapacitate, including oleoresin capsicum spray, tear gas, and 2‑chlorobenzalmalononitrile gas; “isolation” — keeping a youth alone for more than 15 minutes (does not include normal sleeping hours, treatment‑approved separation by a licensed professional, confinement the youth requested, or short nonlocked calming separation); “restraints” — as defined in federal law; “evidence‑based” — shown effective when done correctly, built on research‑supported theory, with measurable outcomes for the target population, and proven by randomized or comparison studies that can be replicated and scaled; “promising” — shows positive results in at least one independent valid evaluation and will be studied using a rigorous design like those in the evidence‑based definition; “dangerous practice” — any act or program that creates an unreasonable risk of physical injury, pain, or psychological harm to a youth; “screening” — a quick check to find youth who may need immediate mental‑health, behavioral, or substance‑abuse help and further evaluation; “assessment” — at least an interview and records review by a licensed or certified professional to find significant treatment needs during confinement; “contact” — the official points where a youth meets the juvenile or criminal justice system; “trauma‑informed” — understanding how violence and trauma affect youth, spotting youth who need help, and responding to avoid re‑traumatizing them; “racial and ethnic disparity” — when minority youth are involved at a decision point at higher rates than non‑minority youth; “status offender” — a juvenile charged with an act that would not be a crime for an adult; “rural” — an area not inside a metropolitan statistical area as defined by the Office of Management and Budget; “internal controls” — processes that give reasonable assurance about effective operations, reliable reporting, and legal compliance, including following Inspector General and Government Accountability Office recommendations; and “tribal government” — the governing body of an Indian Tribe.