[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 8637]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RESTORING JUVENILE JUSTICE FUNDING

  Mr. KOHL. Madam President, I rise today to discuss juvenile crime and 
juvenile crime prevention programs. We must remember that a strategy to 
combat juvenile crime consists of a large dose of prevention programs 
as well as strong enforcement. Juvenile justice programs have proven 
time and time again that they help prevent crime, strengthen 
communities, and give children a second chance to succeed and lead 
healthy lives. It is no secret that robust funding for these programs 
in the 1990s contributed to a 68 percent drop in juvenile crime from 
1994 to 2000. Most importantly, investment in our at-risk children will 
help prevent a life marred by crime and wasted in prison.
  For these programs to succeed, however, they must be priorities for 
this Congress and for this administration. We fear that we are failing 
to live up to our responsibility on this essential issue. A little more 
than 3 months ago, President Bush released his fiscal year 2005 budget 
proposal. In it, juvenile justice and delinquency programs will receive 
only about one-third of the funding they received 3 years ago. This is 
at a time when recent statistics indicate an uptick in juvenile crime 
and an increase in school murder rates.
  We understand that other priorities compete with juvenile justice 
funding and local crime prevention programs. Yet the amounts we are 
discussing are so small in the grand scheme of the budget, and the 
results from the programs so immense, that they mandate our attention.
  When the Senate considered the budget resolution, we began to address 
the shortfalls in juvenile justice funding. I was pleased to work with 
Senators Hatch and Biden on an amendment to restore cuts made to 
juvenile justice programs and local law enforcement funding. Our 
amendment represents a step in the right direction by restoring 
juvenile justice funding to last year's levels, and reversing the trend 
of ever-diminishing appropriations for these programs. It is essential 
that the Kohl-Hatch-Biden amendment that restores juvenile justice 
funding remain in the final Budget Resolution.
  These programs are a wise investment. For every dollar spent on 
prevention, we save $3 to $4 in costs associated with juvenile crime. 
Furthermore, law enforcement officials strongly support prevention 
efforts. A recent poll shows that 71 percent of police chiefs, sheriffs 
and prosecutors believe that crime prevention efforts would have the 
greatest impact in reducing youth violence and crime. So for those who 
may fear that a crime prevention strategy is not ``tough'' enough on 
juveniles, we suggest that these programs make sound economic sense and 
are overwhelmingly endorsed by law enforcement. We must do a better job 
of funding them.
  Let me tell you about two essential programs. In 1992, we established 
the Title V Local Delinquency Prevention Program. Title V was and 
remains unique in that it is the only source of federal funding solely 
dedicated to juvenile crime prevention efforts. More importantly, Title 
V has proven to be a very successful program that encourages 
investment, collaboration, and long-range prevention planning by local 
communities.
  Title V programs include preschool and parent training programs, 
youth mentoring, after-school activities, tutoring, truancy reduction, 
substance abuse prevention and gang prevention outreach. Through these 
initiatives, large cities like Milwaukee to small communities like 
Ladysmith, WI are creating environments that strengthen families and 
help children avoid crime and develop into productive adults.
  Enforcement is an important part of the overall strategy, but the 
administration cuts those programs as well. Positive intervention and 
treatment at this early stage of delinquency can prevent further 
violent behavior and steer a young person in the right direction before 
it is too late. Realizing this, Congress created the Juvenile 
Accountability Incentive Block Grant Program, JAIBG, in 1997 and 
provided it with healthy funding levels of $250 million. Congress 
reauthorized Title V and JAIBG in 2002 at even greater levels. And we 
improved JAIBG by adding substance abuse and mental health counseling, 
restitution, community service, and supervised probations to the list 
of program options. The reauthorized program also ensures State and 
local accountability for proper and effective uses of funds.
  We have a choice in this Congress of where we want to invest our 
money. We can choose to address the roots of crime and invest in our 
children by preventing a life of criminal behavior. We can choose to 
intervene in a positive manner to work with those teens that have 
fallen through the cracks and have had a few scrapes with the law. We 
can turn many of those kids around. I urge my colleagues to make the 
right choice this year and boost funding for the Title V program, the 
Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program, and juvenile justice 
programs overall. We can and must do better.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin is recognized.

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