I’m off to Italy this afternoon and won’t be posting any updates while I’m traveling. Please feel free to comb through the archives and hit the links on the blogroll while the site is on hiatus. If you’re looking for updates on the OJJDP scandal, the best resource is Youth Today; the good folks at Act4JJ will have up-to-date info on the proposed JJDPA reauthorization bill, which may come up for discussion on the Senate floor in July.
Arrivederci!
Juvienation 
Hi there,
Hope you’re enjoying your honeymoon. We just wanted to update folks on the JJDPA reauthorization, and voice our support for the bill and some proposed amendments to it.
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider S. 3155, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008, for markup. This legislation will reauthorize the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act (JJDPA), which has provided states and localities with federal standards and supports for improving juvenile justice and delinquency prevention practices, and has contributed to safeguards for youth, families and communities since its inception in 1974.
We strongly support support S. 3155 for the following reasons:
– The bill adds critical additions to the JJPDA to keep youth out of adult jails and prisons.
– It strengthens provisions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.
– It focuses on conditions of confinement in juvenile facilities.
– It assists States in their capacity to comply with the federal law.
We also support two proposed amendments to the bill:
– Senator Cardin’s amendment proposing fully eliminating the lock up of status offenders
– Senator Whitehouse’s amendment expanding the bill’s mental health provisions
For more information on the bill and to find ways to support it, please visit
http://www.act4jj.org
or
http://www.campaign4youthjustice.org
-Eric Solomon
Media Director, Campaign For Youth Justice