Federal Youth Justice Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a package of funding bills on June 25th including H.R. 3055, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020, which contains funding for the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act (JJDPA). The bill initially included a slight increase in funding over current levels and then the House further enlarged this funding by adopting the following amendments:
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The amendment from Congressman Scott (D-VA) and Congresswoman Foxx (R-NC) transfers $13 million from federal prisoner detention to Youth PROMISE local delinquency prevention grants under the JJDPA.
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The amendment from Congressman Neguse (D-CO) increases funding for juvenile justice programs by $1,000,000. Overall federal funding for juvenile justice programs has decreased by nearly 50 percent in the last 16 years.
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The amendment from Congresswoman Scanlon (D-PA) increases the funding for Title II and Title V of the JJDPA by $2 million.
Need to know more about how your state relies on federal youth justice funding? Act4JJ is in the process of updating many of the fact sheets for individual states. See this link on Spark Action’s website for updated state fact sheets.
Concerns with the Dream Act Legislation Which Passed the House
National Sign-on Letters and Comments
Youth involved with the justice system often intersect with many other systems serving marginalized populations – such as child welfare, immigration, public health, and housing. To best serve our youth, NJJN signs onto a number of national letters on these issues throughout the year. NJJN also occasionally issues comments on regulations impacting individuals in the youth justice and other systems. Please see below for a list of the national letters and that NJJN has signed since our last newsletter and see the federal policy page of our website for a complete list:
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June 19, 2019 – National sign-on letter organized by Act4JJ to House Members asking them to vote “YES” on Amendments to Increase Juvenile Justice Funding in H.R. 3055, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020.
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June 3, 2019 - National sign-on letter to House Members asking them to vote “YES” on Amendment X and Amendment Y to H.R. 6 (the Dream and Promise Act of 2019) to remove discretionary bars to relief based on juvenile adjudications and alleged gang affiliation.