§ 5272. Juvenile Justice Unit; Juvenile Justice Director
(a) A Juvenile Justice Unit is created in the Family Services Division of the Department.
The Unit shall be headed by a Juvenile Justice Director.
(b) The Juvenile Justice Director shall have the responsibility and authority to monitor
and coordinate all State and participating regional and local programs that deal with
juvenile justice issues, including prevention, education, enforcement, adjudication,
and rehabilitation.
(c) The Juvenile Justice Director shall ensure that the following occur:
(1) development of a comprehensive plan for a coordinated and sustained statewide program
to reduce the number of juvenile offenders, involving State, regional, and local officials
in the areas of health, education, prevention, law enforcement, corrections, teen
activities, and community wellness;
(2) cooperation among State, regional, and local officials; court personnel; service providers;
and law enforcement agencies in the formulation and execution of a coordinated statewide
juvenile justice program;
(3) cooperation among appropriate departments, including the Department; the Agency of
Education; the Departments of Corrections, of Labor, of Mental Health, of Public Safety,
and of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living; and the Department of Health’s
Division of Substance Use Programs;
(4) a study of issues relating to juvenile justice and development of recommendations
regarding changes in law and rules, as deemed advisable; and
(5) compilation of data on issues relating to juvenile justice and analysis, study, and
organization of such data for use by educators, researchers, policy advocates, administrators,
legislators, and the Governor. (Added 2007, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; amended 2021, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. July 1, 2022.)