The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved S. 1169, which updates the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)*. This bill is co-sponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. If enacted, S. 1169 would make several improvements to the JJDPA, including reducing the placement of youth in adult jails pre-trial, providing more structure to the law's requirement to decrease racial and ethnic disparities, and phasing out exceptions that allow the detention of youth who have engaged in status offense behaviors. The bill also promotes the use of alternatives to incarceration, calls for the implementation of trauma-informed, evidence-based practices, improves conditions and educational services for incarcerated youth, and increases accountability. The legislation will next move to the full Senate and still needs to be introduced in the House. Please click here for more details about the bill.
* JJDPA is the federal law that sets standards for juvenile justice systems at the state and local levels, providing direct funding for states, research, training, and technical assistance, and evaluation.
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