WASHINGTON – The United States Senate
today unanimously passed bipartisan legislation, led by Senate Judiciary
Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), to secure new protections for
minors and improve accountability measures in the federal juvenile justice
grant program.
“Kids in our juvenile justice
system need safety, fairness and treatment that encourages respect for the law.
That’s why this bill deserved to be passed. There was one final hold on the
Democratic side that finally relented, allowing this bill to pass the Senate unanimously.
Thanks to Congressman Bobby Scott for his swift help to make that happen,” Grassley said. “This will be
the first update to the law in over a decade. Our bill includes important new
accountability measures that protect taxpayer dollars and prevent states from
being rewarded when failing to provide the minimum standard of protections for
minors.”
“Senator Grassley and I have been fighting for years to
update our juvenile justice protections to do a better job getting kids back on
track and out of the system for good,” said Whitehouse. “This
legislation will limit harsh practices like putting young people in solitary
confinement or confining them with adults. It helps kids stay up
to date on their studies. It also tackles substance abuse, mental health,
and other factors that may be driving bad behavior. These are wins for
our kids and society as a whole. Thank you to the Rhode Islanders and
everyone who’s advocated tirelessly for juvenile justice reform.”
The
legislation, called the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Reauthorization Act of 2018, takes steps to reduce the unnecessary
incarceration of youth, improves safeguards for minors who encounter the
justice system and strengthens services that encourage a smooth transition back
into society. This bill is a bicameral compromise that blends the previous
Senate and House versions. The original Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act was enacted
in 1974 to ensure the safety of at-risk youth who enter the juvenile justice
system, and assist states with delinquency
prevention programs and activities. The program has not been updated
since 2002 and is long overdue to be reauthorized.
The
bill improves the existing law by:
·
Improving
treatment for juvenile offenders with mental illness and substance abuse
issues;
·
Encouraging
states to make efforts to identify, report and reduce racial and ethnic
disparities for youth who enter the juvenile justice system;
·
Supporting
alternatives to incarceration, such as problem-solving courts; and
·
Strengthening
oversight of the federal grant program and holding states accountable for
failing to meet core grant requirements to protect the safety of minors in the
justice system.
This
bill is expected to be taken up in the House of Representatives on suspension
and quickly sent to the President for signature to become law.
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