juveniles

A final push to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) before the midterm elections has passed through the House of Representatives and has now moved to the Senate for an attempt at unanimous consent this week.

“We’re going to end solitary confinement of juveniles, period, end of story,” said Marc Schindler, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute, with a wry laugh. He was discussing with Youth Services Insider the new Stop Solitary for Kids campaign, led by JPI and three other groups: Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP); Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR); and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA).

The National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) already has an iron in the pay-for-success (PFS) fire in San Diego where it is working with The Children’s Initiative on a plan to provide county-wide alternatives to detention.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) slammed the House Appropriations Committee as its Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee prepared to mark up a bill that zeroes out juvenile justice funding. From Grassley: “Juvenile justice intervention programs are important tools to help local communities serve and protect at-risk youth who come into contact with the criminal justice system.

Money for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) would be eliminated under the spending bill published today by the the House Committee on Appropriations. The bill, which will be taken up by the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee tomorrow, would essentially end for at least one year the four-decade agreement between the Justice Department and states on certain basic standards for juvenile justice systems.

by Liz Ryan and Jill Ward Sick of hearing about the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)? Uninspired to call your representatives in Congress to fund and reauthorize the bill?

by Lisa Thurau Michael Brown’s death could have been avoided. Easily. An entire government agency, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), exists to teach officers how to negotiate and resolve issues without resort to force.

October is National Youth Justice Awareness Month (Y-JAM), a month-long series of events around the country organized by the D.C.-based Campaign for Youth Justice. Y-JAM got its start in 2008 with a 5K Race organized by Missouri parent Tracy McClard to bring public awareness to this issue and to educate Missouri lawmakers.

by Erin Davies The Steubenville case has brought up a seemingly innumerable host of issues, ranging from sexual assault to social media to personal responsibility to the role of sports in a community.