Moving in the Right Direction

Every child deserves an opportunity to achieve a lifetime of success. That’s exactly why Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (R-VA) introduced the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act (H.R. 5963). Approved by the committee last week, the bipartisan legislation reforms the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) to help state and local leaders better serve the vulnerable children in their communities.

The House is expected to consider the bill later today, and groups representing at-risk youth, law enforcement, and violence survivors are speaking out about the positive impact the bill will have on local efforts to improve the juvenile justice system.

In a letter to committee leaders, Council for a Strong America’s "Fight Crime: Invest in Kids" initiative, writes:

As police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, and violence survivors, our members know the importance of programs that tackle delinquency and youth recidivism head on … States have led the way in solving this youth recidivism problem. By expanding the use of community-based alternatives to detention and other interventions that work directly with the youth and their family, various states have experienced improved public safety and considerable cost savings. The Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act would update the federal law to better direct federal support to these evidence-based programs.

Act 4 Juvenile Justice, representing juvenile justice reform groups across the country, writes:

Despite a continuing decline in youth crime and delinquency, more than 50,000 young people are held in detention centers awaiting trial or confined by the courts in juvenile facilities in the U.S. For these confined youth, and the many more kids at-risk of involvement in the justice system, the JJDPA and programs it supports are critical … . We support H.R. 5963 as a long-overdue and significant improvement over current law.

Part of House Republicans’ broader A Better Way agenda, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act will help vulnerable youth get their lives back on track through reforms that:

• Set kids up for long-term success by helping them acquire skills necessary to grow into productive members of society and promoting opportunities to turn their lives around.

• Provide state and local leaders flexibility to meet the needs of delinquent youth in their communities and improve public safety;

• Help at-risk youth avoid the juvenile justice system by supporting prevention services;

• Prioritize what works by focusing on evidence-based strategies with proven track records; and

• Improve accountability and oversight to deliver positive outcomes for kids and protect taxpayers.
  

 
With these positive, commonsense measures, the bipartisan legislation provides critical support to improve public safety and will help some of the country’s most vulnerable youth find A Better Way to reach their full potential

For more information on the bill, click here.

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