The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 established a state grant program to fund juvenile justice efforts across the country, aiming to improve confinement conditions, limit confinement for certain behaviors, and reduce ethnic disparities. As soon as a state made plans, the state would receive a grant from Congress to allocate towards juvenile justice initiatives. I seek to use a standard econometric design (difference-in-differences), using heterogeneity in the states and timing of the Act, to estimate its impact on outcomes including juvenile incarceration rates, measures of prison conditions, and impacts on communities of color. I hope to use the research to ensure the most effective grants are made, maximizing positive impact on imprisoned youth.

Mentor: Peter Hull

Community Partner: Jill Ward, Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group