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Federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
Action for Children advocates for the reauthorization and improvement of the federal legislation that provides states with standards and funding supports for improving juvenile justice and delinquency prevention practices.
Action for Children advocates for the reauthorization and improvement of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. On any given day, there are more than 7,000 children in adult jails.
In 2008, Senators Leahy, Specter and Kohl introduced S. 3155, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008. S. 3155 passed the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in July but did not pass the full Congress before the end of the legislative session.
SB 678, which is similar to last year's bill, has been introduced this session and has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would reauthorize and improve the Act, which was last reauthorized in 2002.
For more information on the JJDPA, please visit Act 4 Juvenile Justice at www.act4jj.org.
Legislative Information:
Improvements in SB 678 include:
- Strengthening the Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) core protection
- Strengthening the Jail Removal and Sight and Sound core protection
- Allows States to continue to serve youth tried in adult court in juvenile facilities without jeopardizing federal funding
- Strengthening the deinstitutionalization of status offenders (DSO) core protection
- Improves conditions of confinement in juvenile facilities
- Provides comprehensive services and supports for youth
- Increases States’ ability to comply with the core requirements through funding and technical assistance
- Creates incentive grants
- Restores and strengthens the role of federal juvenile justice department
- Sets more appropriate authorization levels for Title II and Title V
- Keeps the focus on prevention and intervention
More Information
