On July 23, 2015, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted, without objection, to approve the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The JJDPA is the only federal statute that sets national standards for the custody and care of youth in the juvenile justice system.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015 (S. 1169) will update existing law to promote transparency and accountability at the state and federal levels and improve core protections for young people in the juvenile justice system. The bipartisan bill promotes the use of alternatives to incarceration and calls for the implementation of trauma-informed, evidence-based practices; improves conditions and educational services for incarcerated youth; and, increases accountability for states receiving funding under the Act.
Other provisions identified in S.1169 will:
- reduce the placement of youth in adult jails pre-trial;
- add procedural safeguards to improve juvenile reentry services;
- offer guidance to states and provide more structure on how to identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities among youth who come into contact with the justice system and provide more structure to the law’s requirement to decrease racial and ethnic disparities;
- encourage states to share records relating to abused and neglected children;
- encourage greater use of community-based alternatives to youth detention, such as specialized problem-solving courts and other diversion programs; and,
- call for the development of a uniform method of data collection to evaluate data on youth recidivism.
Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, home to the RFK National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, is proud to support the JJDPA Reauthorization of 2015 and continues to applaud Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for their bipartisan leadership and sponsorship of S.1169.
The bill will next go to the Senate floor for a full vote. Please visit www.act4jj.org to learn more about the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015 and stay connected with the RFK National Resource Center for more announcements and updates.