CJCA serves as an active member of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition and is one of more than 300 organizations supporting the Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign to update and reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The Act 4 Juvenile Justice Campaign of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition urges Congress to adhere to the following four principles when approaching the reauthorization of the JJDPA:
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.
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.
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, evidence-based services and supports. Ensure, when needed, that sanctions are appropriate to a youth’s age and offense.
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.
Click here to sign on to the Act 4 Juvenile Justice Campaign Statement of Principles.
Click here to learn more about the Act 4 Juvenile Justice Campaign and JJDPA reauthorization.