UALR’s Department of Criminal Justice is receiving a $199,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create a centralized database for the state’s juvenile justice system.

The announcement from Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and Reps. Vic Snyder, Marion Berry, and Mike Ross also will include funding to research the needs of juvenile victims and offenders and to train juvenile justice system personnel on how to best meet the needs of Arkansas’ youth.

The funds were secured in fiscal year 2010 spending bills, and they have now been released.

The juvenile justice data repository system for the state of Arkansas will compile various sets of data – including arrest, detention, probation, and court records for juveniles – into a centralized database that will enable researchers to assess Arkansas’ juvenile justice system.

Researchers at UALR’s Juvenile Justice Center will also study the unique needs of juvenile victims by looking into child maltreatment. They will examine domestic violence and neglect, as well as aggression, substance abuse, and other behaviors associated with violence. Results from the study will be used to train personnel who deal with juvenile victims and offenders in Arkansas’s schools, courts, and child welfare organizations.

“We think this is a wonderful opportunity for the Juvenile Justice Center, for UALR, and for the state of Arkansas as a whole,” said Dr. Lisa Hutchinson, associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and director of the Juvenile Justice Center. “A lot of progress has been made in recent years in improving our juvenile justice system, and we’re excited that this funding will allow us to continue the work to provide specialized services that will help put juvenile offenders on the right path.”

Research demonstrates a substantial connection between child maltreatment and delinquency, and this project aims to give victims the assistance they need to stay out of the juvenile justice system.

“I am pleased to announce this investment that will support how Arkansas is able to care for juvenile victims, and discover ways to help deter juvenile offenders from committing crimes,” Lincoln said. “It is crucial that juvenile offenders are held accountable for their actions and get the counseling and other services they need to turn their lives around.”