In January 2002, the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission was awarded a grant from the US Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for the creation of the Camden Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. This initiative consisted of a comprehensive framework to create a "comprehensive strategy" to combat youth crime. OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy is based on five general principles: We must strengthen the family We must support core social institutions We must promote delinquency prevention We must intervene immediately and effectively when delinquent behavior occurs We must identify and control the small group of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders This program was aimed at providing prevention and intervention activities for young people involved in delinquent activity, including those who have already been involved and those who have not been involved in delinquent activity yet are known to be at the greatest risk of future involvement. Its rationale was to engage a broad base of community residents, parents, law enforcement officials, social service providers, faith-based organizations, young people, and school faculty & staff. In early 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Programs (OJJDP), made a decision to change the direction of the Comprehensive Strategy for the Serious, Violent and Chronic Juvenile Offenders Initiative. As a result of this unanticipated shift in the programmatic focus of our primary funding source, the Board of Directors of the Camden Comprehensive Strategy reassessed its ability to accomplish its goals.

Afterward, the Steering Committee of the Camden Comprehensive Strategy decided that it was important not to lose any of the good will and momentum that was developed by the many individuals and organizations that were involved in the process for over a year. A decision was made to form the Camden City Youth Services Commission as a non-profit organization [501(c) 3] to continue the work of the former Camden Comprehensive Strategy. At the same time, many members of the Steering Committee shared their belief that this new organization focus on all young people who reside in Camden and not just those who were involved with the juvenile justice system. The Camden City Youth Services Commission was born. Simultaneously (January 2002), a small working group was formed at the request of the William Penn Foundation to explore youth development issues in Camden. The Foundation funded a one-year planning grant to guide this working group through this process. This grant resulted in the formation of the Working Group for Youth Development in Camden City, an association of youth serving groups and organizations that has been studying the way youth programs and services are provided. Their goal is to identify system change strategies in order that youth serving organizations will adhere to quality youth development principles & practices. The planning grant that supports this working group ended in February 2003. Earlier this year, these two groups agreed upon the need to merge into one organization. Since we have been guided by many of the same groups and organizations it was decided that the Working Group for Youth Development in Camden City would be eliminated, although the groundbreaking work it has accomplished will continue to be driven and supported by the Camden City Youth Services Commission. The level of partnership that has occurred between our organizations encourages the Camden City Youth Services Commission and Working Group for Youth Development. To date, we have embarked on a strategic planning process that will yield a 5-Year Strategic Plan. We anticipate unlimited partnerships between the groups and organizations that have supported our respective work. The future for youth development in Camden, New Jersey is very bright!