State Ombudsman Programs

Abstract

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is presenting a Juvenile Justice Practices Series to provide the field with updated research, promising practices, and tools for a variety of juvenile justice areas. These Bulletins are important resources for a large number of youth-serving professionals involved in developing and adopting juvenile justice policies and programs, regardless of their funding sources. This third Bulletin in the series describes the role of an ombudsman and different types of ombudsman programs in several states. OJJDP supports the development and adoption of policies that lead to the establishment of a state ombudsman office for children, youth, and families. In addition to defining the role of an ombudsman and describing ombudsman programs, this Bulletin looks at how Tennessee, Connecticut, and Georgia operate their state ombudsman offices. It also discusses how Kentucky, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have adopted the ombudsman concept using funding from the state and other sources. The Bulletin also provides information on organizational and other resources that may assist individuals and agencies interested in establishing a state ombudsman office for children, youth, and families.