Care about Juvenile Justice? Learn about the JJDPA

What's the JJDPA or Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)?  
 
The JJDPA is perhaps best known for its “core requirements.” 
 
First passed in 1974, the JJDPA has for more than 30 years served as the principal vehicle for federal, state and local government to work in partnership on delinquency prevention and improvements in juvenile justice. The federal office devoted to juvenile justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), at U.S. Department of Justice, was established by the JJDPA.
 

To ensure effective implementation of the core requirements and other provisions of the JJDPA, there are two major funding programs under the Act that are implemented by OJJDP, in partnership with state agencies and state advisory groups (or SAGs) composed of citizen volunteers who have expertise in juvenile justice, as well as juvenile justice and court professionals.
 
The JJDPA is due for reauthorization every four years and was last reauthorized by Congress in 2002. Legislation to reauthorize the JJDPA will likely be introduced in the 111th Congress early in the 2009 session. So now's the time to educate yourself about the Act. Go here to find out why it matters.
 
Furthermore, you might consider having your organization sign on to a statement of four principles promulgated by Act-4-Juvenile Justice (Act-4-JJ), a national initiative of more than 350 juvenile justice, law enforcement, youth development, family support and child welfare organizations (scan the list here). Reclaiming Futures is among the Act-4-JJ signatories.
 
The Act-4-JJ organizations are asking Congress to take these principles into account when it considers reauthorizing the JJDPA:

1. Keep children and youth out of the justice system: Whenever possible, keep children and youth out of the juvenile and criminal justice systems by addressing their needs and those of their families early and effectively.
2. Ensure equity and competence: Do everything possible to ensure equity and competence with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender and sexual orientation, in legal representation before the courts and throughout all system practices and policies.
3. Ensure responses appropriate to a young person’s age and stage of development: Do everything possible to ensure that children and youth in the justice system are treated in an age-appropriate manner and provided with developmentally appropriate, evidenced-based services and supports. Ensure, when needed, that sanctions are appropriate to a youth’s age and offense.
4. Strengthen the federal partnership with state and local governments: Strengthen the federal role in supporting state and local needs by providing sufficient resources and appropriations for jurisdictions to effectively implement the JJDPA, to fully comply with its core requirements/protections and to ensure state and local adherence to high standards of performance.

Would you like to stay involved? 

• Please go to the Act-4-JJ web site and join our email list to receive information from the initiative.
• Be sure to share this information with your colleagues.
• Stay in touch and let us know what matters to you in terms of federal juvenile justice leadership.
• And please take very opportunity to educate your congressional delegation about your work to improve the lives of children, youth and families, and to share the Act-4-JJ principles too.

Many thanks!
 

[Ms. Hornberger is Executive Director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, and Co-Chair of the Act-4-Juvenile Justice Initiative.--Ed.]

 
Related Post:

• Here's a post with great information for youth representatives: Representing Juvenile Status Offenders - A Guide from the American Bar Association