[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 64 (Thursday, April 30, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S2578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse):
  S. 1169. A bill to reauthorize and improve the Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015. Senator 
Whitehouse is joining me in this effort.
  This measure would improve our Nation's response to juvenile 
offenders in the criminal justice system.
  For the last 40 or so years, the Federal Government, through the 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, or JJDPA, has provided 
guidelines and resources to help States serve troubled adolescents.
  This 1974 law provides juvenile justice dollars to States and sets 
four core requirements for States that choose to accept these Federal 
funds. The law also created the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention at the Justice Department.
  A centerpiece of the current statute is its standards for the 
treatment of at-risk youth who come into contact with our criminal 
justice system. But these standards have not been updated since 2002, 
and the law's authorization has expired.
  Since Congress last extended the law more than a dozen years ago, 
evidence has emerged that some of the JJDPA's provisions need to be 
improved or strengthened to reflect the latest research on adolescent 
development.
  As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have made this law's 
renewal a priority. The bill I am introducing would extend the statute 
for 5 years and update its provisions to reflect the latest research on 
what works with troubled adolescents.
  The bill also would continue Congress's commitment to help State and 
local jurisdictions improve their juvenile justice systems through a 
program of formula grants. At the same time, the bill would improve the 
oversight and accountability of this grant program in several key ways.
  Such accountability measures are vitally needed to ensure the grant 
program's integrity.
  The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from whistleblowers 
last week that the Justice Department is failing to hold participating 
States accountable for meeting the JJDPA's four core requirements.
  After I wrote several letters concerning these whistleblower 
allegations, the Justice Department admitted to having a flawed 
compliance monitoring policy in place since 1997. This policy allowed 
States to receive JJDPA formula grants in violation of the law's 
funding requirements.
  Witnesses at last week's Senate Judiciary hearing recounted 
violations of law, mismanagement, and waste of limited juvenile justice 
grant funds, in addition to retaliation against whistleblowers.
  This is an injustice not only to the taxpayers but also to the youth 
who face inadequate juvenile justice systems. It is also an injustice 
to the children who end up in the justice system as a result of poor 
experience in the foster care system.
  Shortcomings in the juvenile justice system will not be solved 
overnight. But I look forward to taking the lead on legislation in the 
114th Congress that will make measurable improvements.
  In closing, numerous organizations have worked with us on the 
development of this bill, and I thank them for their contributions. I 
also thank Senator Whitehouse for his cosponsorship of the legislation, 
and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.
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