Summary: In developing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, Congress cited a lack of effective program coordination as one of the major weaknesses of Federal juvenile delinquency prevention efforts. Accordingly, the Act established a new office within the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) to serve as the focal point for all Federal juvenile delinquency activities and to improve overall coordination of related programs.
A review of what LEAA has done to implement the coordination and information dissemination provisions of the legislation showed that not much progress has been made. Annual reports of LEAA have been of little value in providing a comprehensive picture of the Federal juvenile delinquency effort. LEAA funded few interagency projects. The National Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has had little impact on Federal juvenile delinquency program politics or priorities. The Coordination Council, the primary Federal coordinating body established under the act, has not met regularly as required and has not received adequate staff support.
