The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) is an agency of the state of Oklahoma headquartered in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

that is responsible for planning and coordinating statewide

juvenile justice A juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgements for crimes that are committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal s ...

and delinquency prevention services. OJA is also responsible for operating juvenile correctional facilities in the State. The Board of Juvenile Affairs is the governing body of OJA. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the '' ex of ...

and legislative leaders, by and with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The current Executive Director is Rachel Holt. The Executive Director is appointed by the Governor and is subject to Senate confirmation. The Office of Juvenile Affairs was created on July 1, 1995, during the term of Governor

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (initially born as David Rowland Keating) (born February 10, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five governors in Okl ...

History

The Office of Juvenile Affairs was legislatively created during the 1994 session when the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

passed the Juvenile Reform Act. Prior to this time, services for Oklahoma's in-need-of-supervision and delinquent youth were provided by the

Oklahoma Department of Human Services The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, OKDHS is responsible for providing help to individuals and families in need ...

Leadership

The Office of Juvenile Affairs is under the supervision of the Secretary of Human Services. Under current

Kevin Stitt, Dr. Deborah Shropshire serves as Secretary.

Board of Juvenile Affairs

The Board of Juvenile Affairs is the governing body of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the

and legislative leaders, by and with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The term of office for each board member is six years. Appointments are limited to two terms. The Board of Juvenile affairs sets broad policy for the OJA and is the rule making body for the OJA. The Board is responsible for reviewing and approving the budget, assisting the agency in planning activities related to the priorities and policies of the agency, providing a public forum for receiving comments and disseminating information to the public, and establishing contracting procedures for the agency and guidelines for rates of payment for services provided by contract. As of January 2014, the members of the Board are as follows: *Dr. Donnie L. Nero, Chairperson *Janice E. Smith, Co-Chairperson *Deanna Hartley-Kelso *Richard Rice *Scott Williams *Mark Hinson *Dr. Stephen Grissom

Organization

*Board of Juvenile Affairs **Executive Director ***General Counsel ***Public Integrity ***Government Relations ***Chief of Staff ****Chief Psychologist ****Parol Administrator ****Communications ****Advocate General ****Financial Services Division ****Support Services Division ****Institutional Services Division *****Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center (COJC) *****Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center (SWOJC) ****Juvenile Services Division *****District Offices 1 - 8 ****Community Based Youth Services Division

Staffing

The Rehabilitation Services Department, with an annual budget of well over $100 million, is one of the largest employers of the State. For fiscal year 2010, the Department was authorized 1,057 full-time employees.

Facilities

The Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center (COCJ), located in Tecumseh, holds both boys and girls. is located on a plat of land and occupies of it. The school opened in 1917 and was under the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs since 1995; previously it was in the

. It previously served as an orphanage and mental health center in addition to being a juvenile correctional facility. Known by its current name since 1992, it was previously known as Girls Town, the Oklahoma State Industrial School for Incorrigible Girls, the State Industrial School for White Girls, Russell Industrial School, and Central Oklahoma Juvenile Treatment Center.About COCJ
" Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center. Retrieved on December 16, 2015.

References

External links

Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oklahoma Office Of Juvenile Affairs Office of Juvenile Affiars Juvenile detention centers in the United States Oklahoma 1995 establishments in Oklahoma Government agencies established in 1995