For Immediate Release
April 21, 2015
Contact:
Naomi Smoot
Senior Policy Associate, Coalition for Juvenile Justice
(202) 467-0864 ext. 109
Senate renews commitment to Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
Washington D.C. (April 21, 2015) – Today Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) reaffirmed their commitment to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), our country’s broadest federal juvenile justice law.
During a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, the Senators indicated that they are interested ensuring that our youth continue to be afforded the protections established under this seminal federal law. The hearing addressed concerns raised by whistleblowers who are calling for enhanced accountability regarding compliance with the JJDPA’s core requirements.
The JJDPA was first enacted with broad bipartisan support in 1974 and was last reauthorized in 2002. It provides four core protections for young people who are involved in the juvenile justice system. The JJDPA requires that states address disproportionate minority contact (DMC) within their juvenile justice systems, ensures that children are not placed in adult jails, and requires that incarcerated youth and adults be separated by both sight and sound barriers. The JJDPA also prohibits the incarceration of children for status offenses, behaviors such as skipping school and running away from home that violate the law only because the person engaging in them has not reached the age of adulthood. The law also established a separate federal agency to address juvenile justice, known as the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
In December 2014 Senator Grassley and Senator Whitehouse introduced S. 2999. The bill would have reauthorized and strengthened the JJDPA and its core requirements. Tuesday, the pair expressed interest in continuing their bipartisan commitment to the JJDPA in the 114th Congress.
“We are grateful that the Senate is taking up this important issue. A reauthorization of the JJDPA is long overdue and we are excited to see the Senators’ leadership on this front, as well as their commitment to ensuring that our most vulnerable youth are protected from harm,” said Marie Williams, Executive Director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice.
“The question of accountability is undoubtedly appropriate, as it seems to be aimed at ferreting out the cardinal sins of waste, fraud, and abuse. The reality on the ground, however, is that the JJDPA’s funding streams have been systematically starved for more than 10 years. We hope that the Senators balance these needs for accountability and the need for a robust funding stream,” Williams said.
###
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) envisions a nation where fewer children are at risk of delinquency; and if they are at risk or involved with the justice system, they and their families receive every possible opportunity to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. CJJ is a nationwide coalition of State Advisory Groups (SAGs), individuals, organizations, and allies dedicated to preventing children and youth from becoming involved in the courts and upholding the highest standards of care when youth are charged with wrongdoing and enter the justice system.