It is imperative that we contact the members of the CJS Subcommittee and ask them to restore juvenile justice appropriations to at least their FY 2002 levels. See suggested talking points below.

Suggested Talking Points:

• Over the last 35 years, we as a nation have learned a lot about what works, and what youth, families and communities truly need, to prevent delinquency in the first instance and respond in effective and age-appropriate ways when it occurs.

During the next 90 days, the U.S. Senate will consider some major pieces of legislation and the Senate needs to hear that they need to be sure that S. 678, the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act reauthorization legislation is on the Senate floor schedule so that it can be voted on this year by the full Senate!

The JJDPA was first enacted in 1974 and provides federal funding to states that comply with a set of best practices aimed at avoiding the detention and incarceration of young people in juvenile and adult facilities.  However, this law is three years overdue for reauthorization! The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a JJDPA reauthorization bill (S. 678) but it is awaiting action on the Senate floor.  

It's a good law, and is needed now more than ever to end the over-incarceration of young people of color in the justice system and stop the inappropriate use of adult jails for warehousing children charged as adults.  

If you believe that it is urgent to stop putting youth in adult jails and prisons, to end the over-incarceration of youth of color in the justice system, and instead to devote more resources to effective juvenile justice programs such as alternatives to detention and incarceration, contact the Senate now – even if you have contacted your Senators before -- and urge them to put juvenile justice reform on the Senate schedule for a vote!

Actions you can take:

(1) Call: Call your two Senators and urge them to cosponsor S. 678, the JJDPA reauthorization bill, and urge them to contact Majority Leader Harry Reid to urge him to put S. 678 on the Senate schedule for a floor vote as soon as possible.  Let them know you’d like to get a response to your request in writing and provide them with your name and address. Find your Senator here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

(2) Write a Letter: If you would prefer to contact your Senators in writing, click here to send a letter: http://www.change.org/campaign4youthjustice/petitions

(3) Call Media: Contact your local media outlets and urge them to produce a news story on juvenile justice reform and interview your Senators to find out what they are doing to ensure that the JJDPA is voted on by the full Senate as soon as possible. If you would like the BI to assist you in producing a localized media list - contact Shadi Rahimi at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the region needed.

(4) Join: Join the Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign Fan page.

(5) Share: Spread the word with your friends by sharing this Action Alert!

For additional information including sample letters, visit: www.act4jj.org.

W. Haywood Burns Institute

WEEK OF ACTION TO PROTECT YOUTH March 1-5, 2010

Every day across the nation, youth are detained in juvenile facilities for shoplifting, running away, getting in a brawl at school, or other minor offenses. Two-thirds of youth in juvenile detention are youth of color, even though they make-up only one-third of the nation's population. That is because youth of color continue to receive more severe sentences than White youths, even when they have comparable offense charges and histories.

Tell Congress to protect juveniles and address disparities.

Thirty-six years ago, the federal government signed into law an act that provides federal standards to protect juveniles coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. Today, the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act (JJDPA) is overdue for reauthorization.

JJDPA includes four core protections for youth in the juvenile justice system:

· Keep runaways, truants and other "status offenders" out of secure facilities;

· Prevent youth from being placed in adult jails (with limited exceptions);

· Ensure that youth in adult jails are separated by sight and sound from adult offenders;

· Require states to address the disproportionate contact of youth of color with the system.

We must urge Congress to act.

Now is the time for Americans to take on the responsibility of getting troubled and vulnerable youths back on track. It is time to push our government to encourage a fairer, safer and more effective juvenile justice system. Tell Congress to renew their commitment by preserving and advancing juvenile justice system reforms and effective delinquency prevention efforts by reauthorizing the JJDPA. The Senate Judiciary Committee has passed S. 678. But there has been no bill introduced in the House.

You can make a difference.

1) If you have only 30 seconds...

Sign a petition calling for action on the JJDPA: In the House and In the Senate

2) If you can spare a few minutes...

Email, send or fax a letter urging the House of Representatives and the Senate to reauthorize the JJDPA.

3) If you can give even more of your time...

Thank you for helping to protect youth across our nation.

Sincerely,

The Burns Institute in partnership with the Act4JJ Campaign (www.act4jj.org)

Downtown L.A. Criminal Court Building (Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center)
210 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Court in Session at 8:30am / Judge Norm Shapiro, 11th Floor, Division 116
Press Conference - 1:30 pm, Downstairs on Temple

Steven was 14 and José was 16 when a 26-year-old told them to drive with him to "talk to some girls."  Instead, the 26-year-old sat in the back seat and fired a gun out of the car, killing a teenager on the street.  He was never arrested and has since been killed.  But, the two teenagers were convicted of murder late last year after going back and forth between juvenile hall and court for nearly three years.       

On Wednesday, January 6th, they will be sentenced. They face 50-to-Life (Steven) and Life Without the Possibility of Parole (Jose).  They are being sentenced to die in prison. Thousands of California youth are serving similar sentences. Our goal is to pack the courtroom and follow it up with a media action outside. This will be the first of many actions in 2010 to push for the END OF LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE AND OTHER EXTREME SENTENCES FOR YOUTH IN CALIFORNIA, starting by working to PASS SENATE BILL 399 which made it through the State Senate last year, and must make it through the Assembly this year.

From the: Youth Justice Coalition
Visit us @ Chuco's: 1137 E. Redondo Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90302
Mail us @: PO Box 73688, Los Angeles, CA 90003
Call us @: 323-235-4243    fax us @: 323-846-9472
E-mail us @: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it