Bill regarding Juvenile Justice is being considered

A federal law passed back in 1974 required that juveniles be kept separated from adult offenders.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering The Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 to strengthen protections for juveniles while safeguarding judicial discretion to deal with exceptional cases.

The bill calls for preserving and expanding programs that have been particularly effective in combating delinquency and crime among youth, including mentoring and after-school supervision.

A Washington Post article provides a great deal of information on this subject.

An important feature of the bill involves status offenders whose actions are only crimes because of their age. Studies show that alternatives to incarceration are more effective with these young people and better serve the community.

Watching whether the bill is reported out and voted upon is something those interested in juvenile justice should do. The bill will then go to the House for consideration.

Because of lobbying from a wide variety of interests, the bill that finally emerges and gets sent to the President may contain many other provisions. Be sure to contact your representatives and voice your opinion on the proposed bill. Since few people take the time to do so, letters received from constituents are given more weight than might be assumed.