Current Campaigns
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You can take action now! Check out the current campaign actions below! Spread the word!
TELL CONGRESS: PROTECT CHILDREN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM! Act 4 Juvenile Justice
In the next few weeks, Congress is poised to make the deepest cuts to federal juvenile justice funding in more than a decade. These drastic cuts will result in the increased use of incarceration for youth, including placement of children in adult jails, and run counter to research that shows the public supports rehabilitation and treatment for youth. The good news, if there is any, is that it's not too late. With your help, we can reverse this!
What's at Stake? For more than 35 years, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) has provided critical federal funding to states to comply with a set of core requirements designed to protect children from the dangers of adult jails and lockups; keep children charged with status offenses out of locked custody; and address the disparate treatment of youth of color in the justice system.
In addition to these JJDPA programs, funding through the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) program assists state efforts to effectively strengthen services and supports for court-involved youth, including alternatives to detention.
Facing Historic Cuts The House and Senate have both proposed juvenile justice cuts that are the largest in more than a decade. (What does that mean? Jump to the historical federal funding chart). If enacted, these proposed cuts will:
These cuts run counter to recent public opinion research (PDF) released on October 12, 2011, that shows that the public rejects placement of youth in adult jails and prisons and instead strongly favors:
ACT NOW TO STOP THESE PROPOSED CUTS!
How You Can Help Working together, we can turn this around! By taking action, you will be joining thousands of individuals and organizations nationwide as part of the Act 4 Juvenile Justice Campaign to protect children in the justice system.
Please share this information with your networks. To stay updated on the Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign, sign up for updates at www.act4jj.org.
Tell the Senate: Restore Juvenile Justice Funding The House passed Continuing Resolution (CR) proposes $191 million in cuts to juvenile justice funding in the Department of Justice. Juvenile justice programs strengthen the nation's juvenile justice system, and support prevention and early intervention programs that make a critical difference for young people and their communities, and contribute to the prevention and reduction of youth crime and violence. As the Senate considers the House passed Continuing Resolution, it is urgent that juvenile justice funding is restored to increase public safety, and ensure the protection of children from the dangers of adult jails, improve safety for youth in custody, and increase fairness in the justice system. Contact your Senators to urge them to support investing in effective juvenile crime prevention programs and protect youth in the juvenile justice system. For individuals: Please consider signing the petition below: http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-senate-restore-juvenile-justice-funding For organizations: Please consider sending a letter such as the one in the above petition to your Senators.
Reauthorize the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act! The Campaign for Youth Justice and its allies throughout the country have launched the Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign to reauthorize and strengthen the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Congress needs to hear how urgent it is to remove youth from adult jails and prisons! Action Alert: Tell the Senate: Pass Juvenile Justice Reform Now! Action Alert: Tell the House: Pass Juvenile Justice Reform Now!
Support the Family Justice Act! In the last Congress, the Family Justice Act of 2010, H.R. 6361, was introduced on September 29, 2010 and referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. We anticipate that the bill will soon be reintroduced in 2011. The Family Justice Act will provide necessary support and funding to better engage families in the juvenile justice system. The successful rehabilitation of youth is dependent on stable family structures and sustained reintegration into the community, which is more likely to be successful when the juvenile justice system and families involved work together. Action Alert: Support the Family Justice Act!
Demand A&E: Tell the Truth About “Scared Straight” On January 13, 2011, A&E launched the “Beyond Scared Straight” program series earning it the highest ratings in the station’s history. This is a devastating development as it promotes the spread of a noxious program. “Scared Straight” programs were condemned years ago by numerous authoritative and credible researchers. Additionally, "Scared Straight" programs violate the federal Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). According to the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), in its "Compliance Manual" for states, the policy says that, "Facilities must assure that no juvenile offender shall enter under public authority (i.e. while in the care, custody, or under the jurisdiction of law enforcement or the juvenile or criminal court, whichever is applicable) for any amount of time, into a secure setting or secure section of an adult jail, lockup or correctional facility as a disposition of an offense or as a means of modifying their behavior (e.g. Shock Incarceration or Scared Straight)." There are serious, negative and life-threatening impacts on young people when they are subjected to “Scared Straight” programs. Action Alert: Demand A&E: Tell the Truth About “Scared Straight”
If you live in one of the states listed below, please check out how you can take action now! Don’t see a campaign action in your state? Check our “state contacts” listing to see if there is a group actively working on reducing the prosecution of youth in adult court.
The Connecticut Junvenile Justice Alliance (CTJJA) launched a campaign to end the practice of automatically prosecuting all 16 & 17 year olds as adults. On January 1, 2010 CT's new law went into effect to remove 16 year olds from adult court. Through the YES campaign, CTJJA is working to ensure that the new law stays on track and that the January 1, 2012 deadline to remove all 17 year olds from adult court is met! Action Alert: Join the YES campaign!
Baltimore youth, parents, families and advocates have launched a campaign, "Stop the Baltimore Youth Jail" to halt the state of Maryland from building a new jail for youth charged as adults, spending more than $100 million dollars! This proposed 180-230 bed jail is not needed, will not improve public safety outcomes, and will make it easier for the state to prosecute more youth in adult criminal court.
Action Alert: Stop the Baltimore Youth Jail
Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CfJJ) is an independent, non-profit, statewide organization working exclusively to improve the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is one of only 13 states that set the age of criminal responsibility below 18, but CfJJ is working on changing that through its Justice for Kids campaign to raise the age. Action Alert: Join the Justice for Kids Campaign
North Carolina is one of two states where youths ages 16 & 17 are automatically tried as adults. The North Carolina General Assembly established a Youth Accountability Task Force in 2009 to make recommendations on how to implement changes to NC's law by January 2011. The North Carolina Raise the Age Campaign is actively working to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 16 to 18. Action Alert: Get Children out of the Adult System! Raise the Age! Call your Congressman, click here
The Don’t Throw Away the Key Campaign is working to reduce the number of kids in the adult criminal justice system and end the placement of kids in adult jails in Virginia. Action Alert: Don’t Throw Away the Key!
The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families has launched “Justice for Wisconsin Youth” a statewide campaign with the initial goal of returning 17 year olds to the juvenile justice system. Action Alert: Sign onto Justice for Wisconsin Youth!
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