Whitehouse and Grassley led the last reauthorization effort, which became law in 2018
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDPA) Reauthorization Act to reauthorize key delinquency prevention programs and bolster federal protections for incarcerated minors.
“Senator Grassley has been a steadfast partner in strengthening protections for kids in the justice system. I’m proud to continue our bipartisan work to equip state and local communities with resources to keep kids out of the juvenile justice system and to give young people a better chance to get their lives on track after getting out,” said Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former Rhode Island Attorney General and U.S. Attorney.
“Kids in our juvenile justice system ought to be treated fairly and given the tools they need to succeed,” said Grassley. “Our bipartisan bill builds off decades of work to strengthen the core tenets of this critical program, and I thank Senator Whitehouse for his continued partnership to protect and improve outcomes for at-risk youth.”
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act would:
- Reauthorize the Charles Grassley Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program through 2030. This program:
- Empowers local stakeholders to better meet their communities’ needs,
- Improves the effectiveness of State Juvenile Justice Advisory Groups, and
- Strengthens federal protections for kids in the justice system.
- Renew the Youth PROMISE Grants and the Tribal Youth Program to support at-risk or delinquent youth at the local level.
“We’re thrilled about this legislation to reauthorize the JJDPA, a long-awaited development that will significantly benefit young people. Rhode Island played a crucial role in this effort, and we eagerly anticipate helping to secure a brighter future for those impacted by this legislation,” said Ashley Deckert, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
The bill is endorsed by Act4JJ Coalition; Alianza for Opportunity; Association of Children’s Residential & Community services; Boys Town; Child Welfare League of America; Children’s Home Society of America; Children’s Rights; Choices Interlinking Alliance; Coalition for Juvenile Justice; Coalition on Human Needs; Fight Crime: Invest In Kids; Hasan Davis Solutions; Haywood Burns Institute; Healthy Teen Network; Human Rights for Kids; Huntington Learning Center; JUNITY; Justice and Joy National Collaborative; Justice Policy Institute; Juvenile Law Center; MENTOR; Mission: Readiness; National Alliance on Mental Illness; National Association of Counsel for Children; National Association of Counties; National Basketball Social Justice Coalition; National Center for Children & Families; National Center for Youth Law; National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; National Network for Youth; National Organization of State Associations for Children; National Partnership for Juvenile Services; National Youth Justice Network; R Street Institute; Rights4Girls; Safe & Sound; Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts; SchoolHouse Connection; Shared Hope International; Southern Coalition for Social Justice; Strategies for Youth Inc.; Teaching Family Association; The Gathering for Justice; The Gault Center; The Sentencing Project; United Women in Faith; Vera Institute for Justice; Youth First Justice Collaborative; and Youth Villages.
In 2018, Whitehouse and Grassley championed the long-overdue Senate reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The legislation took steps to reduce the unnecessary incarceration of youth, improve safeguards for minors who encounter the justice system, and strengthen services that encourage a smooth transition back into society. Before passage of Whitehouse and Grassley’s bill in 2018, the program had not been updated since 2002. Whitehouse and Grassley introduced legislation last Congress to reauthorize the legislation.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act was first passed into law in 1974. Whitehouse joined Rhode Islanders last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of JJDPA.
The text of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act can be found here.
