Juvenile Justice

The Legal Action Center continues to advocate for the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.  The JJDPA provides grants to States to assist with juvenile crime prevention and intervention programs. In order to be eligible for these grants, States must comply with the four core

protections, which are discussed below. JJDPA grants are administered by the federal Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which is based within the Department of

Justice and coordinates and administers federal juvenile justice efforts. 

Recently, legislation to extend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), which authorizes key programs designed to protect young people, keep them out of trouble, and provide necessary resources and programs to provide children with every opportunity to become productive adult members of society, was introduced in the Senate.  The proposed legislation would increase federal funding for prevention, intervention and treatment programs designed to reduce incidence of juvenile crime. The legislation also prioritizes and funds mental health and drug treatment for juvenile offenders, and encourages states to further address the overrepresentation of minorities in the juvenile justice system.

LAC also supports various pieces of legislation currently pending in Congress including "The First Step Forward Act of 2007," S. 2451 and its companion legislation in the House, the "Youth Reentry Improvement Act of 2008," H.R. 5178.  Both bills would amend the JJDPAto require that States have procedures to ensure that each adjudicated juvenile has a written case plan describing the pre- and post-release programs and services that would be provided to the juvenile. 

 Click here for more information on S. 2451 and H.R. 5178[NT1]  

[Back to National Policy Homepage]