article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Juvenile Corrections Act of 1997''. SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR FACILITIES FOR VIOLENT AND SERIOUS CHRONIC JUVENILE OFFENDERS. (a) Definitions.--In this section-- (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice; (2) the term ``combination'' has the same meaning as in section 103 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5603); (3) the term ``juvenile delinquency program'' has the same meaning as in section 103 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5603); (4) the term ``qualifying State'' means a State that has submitted, or a State in which an eligible unit of local government has submitted, a grant application that meets the requirements of subsections (c) and (e); (5) the terms ``secure detention facility'' and ``secure correctional facility'' have the same meanings as in section 103 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5603); (6) the term ``State'' means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands; and (7) the term ``unit of local government'' has the same meaning as in section 103 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5603). (b) Authorization of Grants.--The Administrator may make grants to States and units of local government, or combinations thereof, to assist them in planning, establishing, and operating secure detention facilities, secure correctional facilities, and other facilities and programs for violent juveniles and serious chronic juvenile offenders who are accused of or who have been adjudicated as having committed one or more offenses. (c) Applications.-- (1) In general.--The chief executive officer of a State or unit of local government that seeks to receive a grant under this section shall submit to the Administrator an application, in such form and in such manner as the Administrator may prescribe. (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall-- (A) provide assurances that each facility or program funded with a grant under this section will provide appropriate educational and vocational training and substance abuse treatment for juvenile offenders; and (B) provide assurances that each facility or program funded with a grant under this section will afford juvenile offenders intensive post-release supervision and services. (d) Minimum Amount.--Of the total amount made available under subsection (g) to carry out this section in any fiscal year-- (1) except as provided in paragraph (2), each qualifying State, together with units of local government within the State, shall be allocated not less than 1.0 percent; and (2) the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands shall each be allocated 0.2 percent. (e) Performance Evaluation.-- (1) Evaluation components.-- (A) In general.--Each facility or program funded with a grant under this section shall contain an evaluation component developed pursuant to guidelines established by the Administrator. (B) Outcome measures.--Each evaluation required by this subsection shall include outcome measures that can be used to determine the effectiveness of each program funded with grant under this section, including the effectiveness of the program in comparison with other juvenile delinquency programs in reducing the incidence of recidivism, and other outcome measures. (2) Periodic review and reports.-- (A) Review.--The Administrator shall review the performance of each recipient of a grant under this section. (B) Reports.--The Administrator may require a grant recipient to submit to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice the results of the evaluations required under paragraph (1) and such other data and information as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the Administrator's responsibilities under this section. (f) Technical Assistance and Training.--The Administrator shall provide technical assistance and training to each recipient of a grant under this section to assist those recipients in achieving the purposes of this section. (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section-- (1) $252,700,000 for fiscal year 1998; (2) $266,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; and (3) $275,310,000 for fiscal year 2000. SEC. 3. COMPENSATING REDUCTION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. Section 20108(a)(1) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13708(a)(1)) is amended by striking subparagraphs (C) through (E) and inserting the following: ``(C) $2,274,300,000 for fiscal year 1998; ``(D) $2,394,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; and ``(E) $2,477,790,000 for fiscal year 2000.''. SEC. 4. REPORT ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES IN JUVENILE CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS. (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall, after consultation with the National Institute of Justice and other appropriate governmental and nongovernmental organizations, submit to Congress a report regarding the possible use of performance-based criteria in evaluating and improving the effectiveness of juvenile delinquency programs. (b) Contents.--The report required under this section shall include an analysis of-- (1) the range of performance-based measures that might be utilized as evaluation criteria, including measures of recidivism among juveniles who have been incarcerated in a secure correctional facility or a secure detention facility, or who have participated in a juvenile delinquency program; (2) the feasibility of linking Federal juvenile corrections funding to the satisfaction of performance-based criteria by grantees (including the use of a Federal matching mechanism under which the share of Federal funding would vary in relation to the performance of a facility or program); (3) whether, and to what extent, the data necessary for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice to utilize performance-based criteria in its administration of juvenile delinquency programs are collected and reported nationally; and (4) the estimated cost and feasibility of establishing minimal, uniform data collection and reporting standards nationwide that would allow for the use of performance-based criteria in evaluating secure correctional facilities, secure detention facilities, and juvenile delinquency programs and in administering amounts appropriated for Federal juvenile delinquency programs.
summary: Juvenile Corrections Act of 1997 - Authorizes the Administrator of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to make grants to assist States and local governments in planning, establishing, and operating secure detention and correctional facilities and other facilities and programs for violent juveniles and serious chronic juvenile offenders who are accused of, or who have been adjudicated as having committed, one or more offenses. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) application requirements; (2) minimum amounts allocated to qualifying States; (3) performance evaluations; and (4) technical assistance and training. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to make a compensating reduction of the authorization of appropriations from Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth in Sentencing Incentive Grants. Directs the Administrator to submit to the Congress a report regarding the possible use of performance-based criteria in evaluating and improving the effectiveness of juvenile delinquency programs.