Reauthorization Bill
On June 18, 2008, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont introduced S.3155, a bill to reauthorize the juvenile delinquency prevention programs of the JJDPA through FY2013, saying, "With the reauthorization of this important legislation, we recommit to these important goals but also push the law forward in key ways to better serve our communities and our children."
The reauthorization bill makes changes to the original bill in that it, among other things:
- eliminates the exception to detaining status offenders, the "Valid Court Order" (VCO) exception (a "loophole" added into the law in 1980).
- keeps kids out of adult jails and prisons (with limited exceptions);
- requires states to reduce racial & ethnic disparities;
- creates incentives for the use of programs that research has shown to work best;
- refocuses attention on prevention programs intended to keep children from ever entering the juvenile or criminal justice systems.
On July 31, 2008, the bill was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee with broad bipartisan support. However, it was never voted on in the Senate.
The bill was reintroduced in 2009, S. 678, and is cosponsored by Senators Leahy, Kohl, Durbin, Franken, Collins and Snowe. S. 678 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 17, 2009. Companion legislation, H.R. 6029, was introduced in the House by Representatives Keith Ellison (MN-D) and Robert C. Scott (VA-D).
National, state and local organizations of youth, parents, youth service providers, juvenile justice professionals, detention and corrections officials and other juvenile and adult criminal justice system stakeholders launched a national campaign, Act 4 Juvenile Justice, to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The Campaign for Youth Justice was one such organization.
Additional information on the JJDPA, background history, recommendations, hearing proceedings, facts and research can be found at: http://www.act4jj.org.
Information on the "Jail Removal" and "Sight and Sound" requirements in the JJDPA can be found at: http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/jjdpa.html.
Read more about this topic: Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention Act
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