On July 23, 2015, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act (JJDPA) of 2015, S. 1169.  The bill was approved in a bipartisan effort by voice vote with no objections.  Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) jointly introduced the bill earlier this year. The last time the JJDPA was reauthorized was in 2002.  As such, the current JJDPA grant programs have been operating without an authorization since 2007. Supporters of the legislation believe that S. 1169 would strengthen the JJDPA's protections for youth in the juvenile justice system.

Key provisions of the bill include:

On August 4, 2015, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on foster care and alternatives to foster care placements. The hearing was entitled "Way Back Home: Preserving Families and Reducing the Need for Foster Care" and included testimony from five panelists representing state, kinship care, youth and parent perspectives.

Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) stated in his opening remarks that he hoped that the Committee would mark-up child welfare legislation this fall. He again emphasized his concern over placements of children in group homes/congregate care.  He said, "I believe that we should do whatever we can to reduce the reliance on foster care group homes," but added .... "it is not sound public policy to work to reduce the reliance on group homes without addressing the need to support a family placement for children and youth currently in or at risk of entering one of these facilities."

The hearing coincided with Ranking Member Ron Wyden's (D-OR) introduction of his Family Stability and Kinship Care Act (S. 1964).  Senator Wyden introduced the bill the day after the hearing. In his opening remarks at the hearing, Senator Wyden reflected on past legislation in support of kinship care as an important alternative and said, "Now in 2015, I see an opportunity for Congress to go even further in helping kids thrive with kin. It begins with letting states run with fresh policies that will support families when they have fallen on hard times."

S. 1964 is the result of an earlier draft bill that Senator Wyden released in the spring for public feedback. The Senator stated that his "proposal would expand the federal foster care entitlement to do more than just pay a daily rate to keep children housed in foster care homes. Instead, states and tribes would be able to use foster care funds to provide families in crisis with the supports, services, and evidence-based interventions needed to keep their children safely at home and out of foster care."

The legislation would allow states to use Title IV-E funds for a limited amount of services for children who are considered "a candidate for foster care" (at imminent risk of entry into foster care). Federal reimbursement would be available for services without regard to the income of the child's biological parents. States would be able to provide up to 12 months of services to vulnerable families to prevent their placement into foster care or reentry into foster care following reunification. States would be required to develop a state plan on needed services. These services would support kin families or families who have adopted children.

Services covered under the legislation would include:

On August 10, 2015, the Civil Rights Divisions (OCRs) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued joint technical assistance (TA) to state and local child welfare agencies and courts on the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The TA document is intended to help child welfare agencies and family courts understand their obligations under Federal law to ensure that parents and prospective parents with disabilities receive equal treatment and equal access to parenting opportunities.

The following is an excerpt from the joint cover letter:

The TA document includes an overview of the federal requirements, a question-and-answer section, and a list of additional resources.

A tremendous amount of momentum exists for meaningful criminal justice reform during this Congress.  A bipartisan group of 20 congressmen, led by Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) recently introduced the SAFE Justice Act (H.R. 2944), a bill that would implement major reforms across all areas of the federal criminal justice system, especially how the U.S. treats drug crimes. The legislation was inspired by the successes of states across the country.  The bill addresses a number of issues, from curtailing over-federalization and over-criminalization to reducing the burgeoning prison population. It would also make it more difficult for federal agencies to put criminal penalties in their regulations, would prioritize prison time for violent offenders, and invest in police relations and accountability. The bill is supported by groups as diverse as the Koch brothers and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The State Department recently released the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report.  The report, which categorizes countries using four levels (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2-Watch List and Tier 3), is a result of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA).  The report tracks human trafficking of persons of all ages through forced labor and sex trafficking. The U.S. assessed itself as a Tier I country, which is the top level and indicates full compliance with the TVPA's minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

 

The report found that both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals are victims of sex trafficking and forced labor and that the trafficking occurs in both legal and illicit business including commercial sex, hospitality, sales crews, agriculture, manufacturing, janitorial services, construction, shipyards, restaurants, health and elder care, salon services, fairs and carnivals, peddling and begging, and domestic service.

According to the report the most vulnerable populations included: "children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; runaway and homeless youth; children working in agriculture; American Indians and Alaska Natives; migrant laborers; foreign national domestic workers in diplomatic households; employees of businesses in ethnic communities; populations with limited English proficiency; persons with disabilities; rural populations; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals."

The following are some of the recommendations for improvement in the U.S.: