SUPPORT VULNERABLE YOUTH: REAUTHORIZE THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT

ACTION NEEDED: Urge your Members of Congress, especially those that serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate Judiciary committees, to support and cosponsor bipartisan legislation which would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).

BACKGROUND: The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is the principal federal program through which the federal government sets standards for the care and custody of juveniles. JJDPA improves juvenile justice systems at the state and local levels and also provides direct funding to states and counties for research, training, and technical assistance and evaluation of the entire youth system. Originally enacted in 1974, JJDPA has been amended several times over the past 30 years, but its basic composition has remained QUICK FACTS relatively the same and this framework has led to continuing success.  Each year, local juvenile courts handle an estimated Since inception, JJDPA has provided critical federal funding to states and 1.6 million delinquency cases counties to comply with a set of protections that shield youth from the and adjudicate youth dangers of adult jails, keep status offenders out of locked custody and delinquents in nearly seven of address the disproportionate treatment of minorities in the justice system. every 10 petitioned cases Title II of the law establishes State Formula Funds to support state compliance with these protections, helping to ensure that states have the  JJPDA is set to expire on resources to build effective statewide systems that reduce recidivism and September 30, 2015 without Congressional action. The promote public safety. The Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency continuing success of Prevention Program, commonly known as the Community Prevention Grants effective nationwide juvenile Program and authorized under Title V of the JJDPA, provides funding to local crime prevention and governments for collaborative, community-focused and community-based deterrence depends on delinquency prevention efforts to reach youth in high-risk situations before Congress reauthorizing JJDPA they make poor choices.

The programs authorized in JJDPA are used in states and counties to reduce juvenile offending by providing judges and other juvenile justice officials with a range of age and developmentally appropriate options that hold youth accountable while giving them the assistance they need to turn their lives around so they are less likely to reoffend. They are all critical to many communities nationwide, and allow counties to identify gaps in their continuum of services, implement innovative, research-based programming and increase evidence-based screening and assessment for children and youth.

The continuing success of effective nationwide juvenile crime prevention and deterrence depends on Congress reauthorizing JJDPA, as well as providing the resources needed to fulfill its provisions. Congress must continue to support and improve the four core principles of law, including: deinstitutionalization of status offenders (DSO), sight and sound separation, jail removal, and disproportionate minority confinement (DMC) as part of any multiyear JJDPA reauthorization bill.

The most recent bipartisan proposal to reauthorize the JJDPA was S. 1169, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015, which was introduced by the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

JJPDA is currently being funded as a part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 (P.L. 113-235), which is set to expire on September 30, 2015.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

 Counties are the principal providers of juvenile court and detention services for youth. Furthermore, counties operate and fund the wide majority of local health, human service and social service agencies for juveniles to ensure success and continuum of care.

 Many youth who are confined are nonviolent and highly amenable to the benefits of rehabilitative services and supports.

 The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) provides critical federal funding, research and technical assistance to states and counties to comply with a set of core protections that shield youth from the dangers of adult jails, keep status offenders out of locked custody, and address the disproportionate treatment of minorities in the justice system.

 Programs funded in JJDPA assist counties in investing in collaborative, community-based delinquency prevention efforts to reach high-risk youth. Title V delinquency prevention funds are used by counties to support prevention programs targeted t youth at risk of becoming delinquent or to intervene with first-tie and non-serious offenders to keep them out of the juvenile justice system.

For further information, contact: Paul Beddoe at 202.942.4234 or [email protected]

COMMITTEES OF JURISDICTION:

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Senate Judiciary Committee Majority: Minority: Majority: John Kline (R-MI), Chairman Robert Scott (D-VA), Ranking Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC) Member Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) (R-NC) Rubén Hinojosa, (D-TX) Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Duncan Hunter (R-CA) Susan Davis, (D-CA) Lindsey Graham (R-SC) David Roe (R-TN) Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) John Cornyn (R-TX) Glenn Thompson (R-PA) Joe Courtney (D-OH) Mike Lee (R-UT) (R-MI) Jared Polis (D-CO) Ted Cruz (R-TX) Matt Salmon (R-AZ) (D-MP) Jeff Flake (R-AZ) (R-KY) (D-FL) David Vitter (R-LA) Todd Rokita (R-IN) (R-OR) David Perdue (R-GA) Lou Barletta (R-PA) (D-WI) Thom Tillis (R-NC) Joseph Heck (R-NV) (D-CA) Luke Messer (R-IN) Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Minority: Bradley Byrne (R-AL) (D-MA) Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Ranking Dave Brat (R-VA) (D-NC)Mark Member (R-GA) DeSaulnier (D-CA) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Mike Bishop (R-MI) Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) (R-WI) Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) Steve Russell (R-OK) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) (R-NY) Al Franken (D-MN) Rick Allen (R-GA) Chris Coons (D-DE) Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

U.S. House Appropriations Committee U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Majority: Majority: Harold Rogers (R-KY), Chairman (R-NE) Thad Cochran (R-MS), Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) Tom Rooney (R-FL) Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL)* (R-TN) Richard Shelby (R-AL)* (R-TX) (R- Lamar Alexander (R-TN)* Michael Simpson (R-ID) WA)* Susan Collins (R-ME)* John Abney Culberson, (R-TX)* (R-OH) Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)* Ander Crenshaw, (R-FL) (R-CA) Lindsey Graham (R-SC)* John R. Carter (R-TX)* (R-MD) Mark Kirk (R-IL)* (R-CA) Martha Roby (R - AL) Roy Blunt (R - MO) (R-OK) (R-NV) Jerry Moran (R-KS) Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) Chris Stewart (R-UT) John Hoeven (R-ND) Charles Dent (R-PA) Scott Rigell (R-VA) John Boozman (R-AR)* Tom Graves (R-GA) David Jolly (R-FL)* Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)* Kevin Yoder (R-KS) David Young (R-IA) Bill Cassidy (R-LA) (R-AR) Evan Jenkins (R-WV)* James Lankford (R-OK)* Alan Nunnelee (R-MS) (R-MS) Steve Daines (R-MT)

Minority: Minority: (D-NY), Ranking Member Michael Honda (D-CA)* Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Ranking Member* (D-OH) Betty McCollum (D-MN) Patrick Leahy (D-VT)* Peter Visclosky (D-IN) (D-NY) Patty Murray (D-WA) José Serrano (D-NY)* Tim Ryan (D-OH) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)* Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) C.A. Richard Durbin (D-IL) David Price (D-NC) (D-MD) Jack Reed (D-RI)* Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) Jon Tester (D-MT) Sam Farr (D-CA) (D-FL) Tom Udall (D-NM) Chaka Fattah (D-PA)* (D-TX) Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)* (D-GA) (D-ME) Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (D-CA) Mike Quigley (D-IL) Chris Coons (D-DE)* (D-WA)* Brian Schatz (D-HI) *Members who serve on the Commerce, Justice, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)* Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee Christopher Murphy (D-CT)*