34 U.S.C. § 11102 — Purposes

The purposes of this subchapter and subchapter II are:
(1) To support State^*, tribal, and local programs that prevent juveniles from becoming involved in delinquent behavior.
(2) To help State, tribal, and local governments promote public safety by encouraging juveniles to be accountable for delinquent acts.
(3) To help those governments address juvenile crime through technical assistance, research, training, evaluation, and sharing current and relevant information about effective, evidence-based^* programs and practices for combating juvenile delinquency.
(4) To support a continuing range of evidence-based or promising^* programs. These may include delinquency prevention and intervention; mental-health, behavioral-health, and substance-abuse treatment^*; family services; and services for children exposed to violence. The programs must be informed by trauma research, reflect what is known about adolescent development, and be designed for at-risk youth and youth who come into contact^* with the justice system.