While Congress struggles with continuing resolutions and cuts related to the current fiscal year’s budget, as mentioned in a blog posting last week, the Obama FY 2012 budget proposal reduces and alters funding for some of the traditional Formula and JABG juvenile justice grants. Until some basic questions get answered about how funds would be awarded, it is unclear whether or not this proposal will strengthen or weaken progress toward juvenile justice reform. For example:
• If there is no “guarantee” of funding (e.g. Formula or JABG funds) to states, even if in compliance, what is the incentive for a state to be in compliance?
• Can these new incentive grant funds be used to support compliance monitoring activities? If not, how will financially-strapped states find the resources to remain in compliance? If so, with a reduced amount of funding overall what will be left over for actual program improvements?
• Given the current fiscal and political climate, does configuring juvenile justice funds in this way increase the likelihood that at least some level of federal support for system reform can be maintained?

Although the overall allocation reductions can only hurt system reform efforts, I think it is too soon to take sides in whether this proposal makes sense in the long run. Stay tuned.