Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group - Augusta, ME

About the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group

The Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG) serves as the federally mandated State Advisory Group for Maine. Administratively housed within the Department of Corrections Service Center at 25 Tyson Drive in Augusta, the JJAG is responsible for overseeing the state's compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The group acts as a bridge between federal standards and local implementation, advising the Governor and Legislature on critical issues affecting youth in the justice system.

Core Mandates

The JJAG is comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor who bring diverse expertise in youth services, law, and community safety. Their work focuses on:

• Compliance Monitoring: Ensuring Maine adheres to federal core requirements, such as the deinstitutionalization of status offenders and the sight and sound separation of juveniles from adult inmates.
• Grants and Funding: Managing and distributing federal Title II formula grants to support local delinquency prevention and intervention programs.
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED): Analyzing data to identify and reduce disproportionate minority contact within the juvenile justice system.

Location and Public Access

The JJAG's administrative staff, including the Juvenile Justice Specialist, operate out of the Tyson Drive office complex, located near the Riverview Psychiatric Center on the East Side of Augusta. The group holds regular meetings which are open to the public, often conducted in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual). Visitors to the Tyson Drive facility should be aware that it houses Department of Corrections administrative offices, and security measures such as ID checks and screening may be in place.