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Interstate Compact for Juveniles

What is the Interstate Compact for Juveniles

The Compact is an agreement between member States and Territories of the United States of America. This agreement provides the means to safely and legally return children and youth who have left their home state without permission of their parent or guardian, and to provide supervision of youth adjudicated for an offense when they and their families relocate to another State.  The compact serves youth experiencing the following:

• Any child under the age of 18 in Kansas, or the age of majority in their home state, who has run away from his/her parent, guardian or another person or agency entitled to legal custody
• Any juvenile subject to court jurisdiction under the Juvenile Offender Code in Kansas, or similar laws of another state, who has absconded from supervision and run to another state, or for whom transfer of supervision to another state may be in the best interests of the youth, family and safety of the public
• Any alleged juvenile offender who has escaped to another state to avoid court proceedings in their home state, or whom has escaped from a facility or agency's custody to which he/she has been committed by the court.

The Interstate Compact for Juveniles is effective March 1, 2010. As of September 2010, 46 of 56 eligible States and Territories are members of this new Compact. The status of each individual state is represented on the map below. Blue States are members of the new Compact and those in white, yellow or red are not. The remaining States are subject to rules of the old compact, "The Interstate Compact on Juveniles." With two Compacts among the States, the correct one to utilize for youth is determined based upon the youth’s home State.

New ICJ

Administration of the Compact in Kansas

In Kansas, the Governor has vested the required Compact Commissioner role with the Deputy Commissioner of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority (JJA), a cabinet level agency. In the performance of these duties, JJA is responsible for the implementation and operation of the Compact, which includes working to help ensure that all local agencies and public officials who serve youth in Kansas are aware of and comply with the terms of the Compact.

Kansas Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision (KCIJS)

The Kansas Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision was created by Senate Bill 14 on March 13, 2009. The Council is responsible for overseeing and administering the state's participation in the Interstate Compact for Juveniles and shall develop policies concerning the operations and procedures of the Compact within the state.

• KCIJS Members

Technical Assistance

Assistance with both Compacts is available to all Kansas professionals and agencies serving youth. The information available on this site by clicking on New or Old above will direct you to information to guide you through the Compact processes, links to downloadable forms, rules and other resources.

In addition, please feel free to ask questions or seek assistance in the correct application of the Compact by contacting staff of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority at: