Catholic Charities USA Action Alert 7/7/10

Take Action Today:

Catholic Charities USA urges you to join advocates from across the country today for a National Call- In Day urging your Congressional Representatives to make Juvenile Justice a priority this year!

What You Can Do:

Call your Representative and Senators today and ask them to help make our nation’s youth a priority in the 111th Congress.

Congressional offices can be reached through the Capitol switchboard at 888-460-0813. To find who your representative is please click here.

TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT:

We need your help!  Please contact your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. House Representative and ask them to make juvenile justice a priority in the 111th Congress by:

  • Reauthorizing the JJDPA;
  • Increasing juvenile justice appropriations; and
  • Passing the Youth PROMISE Act

BACKGROUND:

  • Reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), which is currently three years overdue for reauthorization.  The JJDPA, first enacted in 1974, promotes the use of effective community-based alternatives to detention, keeps youth out of adult facilities, reduces the disproportionate involvement of youth of color in the system, and promotes other research-driven best practices in the juvenile justice system. Call on Congress to reauthorize the bill now!
  • Increasing appropriations for juvenile justice programs, which were the only category of children’s programs that received a significant decrease in funding in the President’s proposed budget.  In order for the States to make positive changes, they must receive the federal support they need to prevent youth crime and rehabilitate juvenile offenders. We have seen a sharp decline in funding for juvenile justice programs as a whole since FY 2002. Ask Congress to preserve and increase juvenile justice appropriations for the coming fiscal year!
  • Passing the Youth PROMISE Act to promote proven, cost-effective prevention-based strategies to reduce youth crime. Under Youth PROMISE, representatives from the communities facing the greatest juvenile crime challenges will be able to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent youth crime through a coordinated prevention and intervention response. 

 

Please Call Today: Capitol Switchboard: 888-460-0813 and ask to speak with your representative. To find who your representative is please click here.