Interstate Compact
North Carolina is a participating state in the Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) which provides cooperative action among the states to promote, develop and facilitate a uniform standard to assure the welfare and protection of juveniles, victims and the public. This is accomplished by rules governing the transfer of supervision of juveniles, providing notification of their temporary travel and returning juveniles who have absconded, escaped, or who are accused delinquents. The Compact also provides for the return of non-delinquent runaways.
The history of the ICJ dates back to the 1950s, when concern grew throughout the United States about “a vast army of wandering kids being shuttled from place to place.” The U.S. Senate Juvenile Delinquency Subcommittee launched an extensive investigation, which drew even more attention when findings became the subject of a Parade Magazine article, entitled Nobody’s Children: How America’s 300,000 runaway teen-agers get the runaround. Ross, S. & Keister, E. (1954, September) Nobody’s Children. Parade Magazine, 8-13. Building on this momentum, the “original” Interstate Compact on Juveniles was created in 1955. The “original” Compact provided the first-ever framework for regulating the interstate movement of juveniles to address the safety needs of juveniles and communities. By 1986, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands and Guam had ratified the “original” Compact.
In 1999, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) conducted a detailed survey which uncovered several contentious issues within the Compact's structure. Along with the Council of State Governments (CSG), OJJDP determined that a revision of the existing Compact as the only option for long-term progress and sustainability. In 2001, OJJDP, CSG, and Association of Juveniles Compact Administrators (AJCA) developed and facilitated a drafting team of state officials to design a revised juvenile compact.
In 2002, after finalizing the Compact's language, an educational campaign began to help states’ policymakers better appreciate and understand the need for a new Compact. By 2003, the “new” Interstate Compact for Juveniles became available for introduction in the states. In 2005, North Carolina adopted the Interstate Compact for Juveniles. The “new” Compact reached its thirty-five (35) state threshold when Tennessee and Illinois enacted in 2008, allowing for transition and operational activities to commence. One of the key improvements of the “new” Compact was the authorization to create a governing body with authority to promulgate rules and enforce compliance. Thus, the Interstate Commission for Juveniles was formed in 2008, with voting members (Commissioners) from each member jurisdiction. The Commission held its first Annual Business Meeting in December 2008 and hired its first full-time staff the same year.
In 2012, the Commission launched the first ever data system for tracking interstate movement of juveniles. The Juveniles Information Data System, commonly known as JIDS, provides a platform for state ICJ offices to exchange forms and other data regarding juveniles subject to the Compact. April 2014, completed the ratification of the “new” Compact by all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands. The Commission uses a robust committee structure to carry out operations throughout the year and comes together for an engaging and productive Annual Business Meeting each fall.
For many years, the Commission was affiliated with CSG for administrative purposes. However, the Commission dis-affiliated from CSG in December 2016. The Commission’s National Office is now co-located with the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS). Though housed together, ICJ and ICAOS are separate organizations, with distinct missions, members, funding streams, data systems, and staff. Facilities and some business systems are shared for greater efficiency.