This is the Final Technical Report of the Juvenile Justice Model Data Project (Model Data Project), whose primary goals were to 1) develop model measures for monitoring trends and assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of juvenile justice systems, 2) identify related model data elements with recommended definitions and coding categories, and 3) develop a comprehensive strategy to disseminate and promote the use of the model data elements and measures.
To achieve these goals, the project team of the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) planned partnerships and activities in a systemic approach that was driven by local practices. The project staff identified and categorized key information needs of juvenile justice professionals in 10 key questions that compose the conceptual framework for the Model Data Project. These questions identify critical information needs and provide a framework for juvenile justice systems in assessing their efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the key questions established boundaries for project staff, since each measure developed was required to fit within one of the key questions. The 10 questions and the significance of each one are explained in this report. This effort to develop model measures for juvenile justice resulted in several deliverables, including just over 100 research-based measures with recommended coding categories. These fundamental measures, along with recommended coding categories and supporting research, will be published online. This report recommends that jurisdictions and agencies that want to incorporate the measures into their juvenile justice systems refer to the Fundamental Measures for Juvenile Justice website for more information (http://www.ncjj.org/fmjj/), rather than relying solely on this technical report.