Some July 4 Thoughts

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, the day we celebrate the Declaration of Independence and the start of our formal existence as a nation state. One bit of the Declaration that I’m mindful of this year is the part where it says that “to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men [people], deriving their just powers from the consent of the goverened. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it….”

In some places, such as Zimbabwe, the government no longer has the consent of the governed, but carries on anyway. Here in the United States, we citizens do have a lot to say about what our government does, and how it does it. As flawed as our democracy can be, we do have the ability — and the responsibility — to make it work, and to make changes when it doesn’t work.

So when our juvenile justice systems are broken and in need of reform, it falls to us to see how we can fix them. Last week, I had the privilege of attending part of the National Juvenile Justice Network’s annual Forum. (Families & Allies is a new member of NJJN.) There I met citizens from across the country who are dedicated to making their state’s juvenile justice system work better, for the good of all.

Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider S. 3155, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008. As Act 4 Juvenile Justice notes, “This bill reauthorizes the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), one of the main federal laws dealing with juvenile justice issues.” It’s an important bill, and one that we should support in any way we can. Check www.act4jj.org to find out more about how to help pass this bill.

Today’s New York Times had a great editorial about the JJDPA, which I suggest you read in its entirety (it’s short). Here’s a sample quote:

The Senate bill takes a comprehensive approach to these issues. It would considerably tighten rules aimed at keeping children out of adult jails during pretrial periods. Children arrested for truancy, running away or other offenses that would not be criminal if committed by an adult would not be placed in juvenile jail unless absolutely necessary.

It also would require the states to work toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. It increases federal funding for technical assistance and for drug treatment, mental health care, mentoring and after-care programs that keep children out of the juvenile system in the first place. The bill advocates an evidence-based approach to hand out the money.

Jailing and criminalizing young Americans causes a lot more crime than it punishes or prevents. This bill represents an important step toward rational and compassionate justice for troubled children.

Happy Independence Day.

— Liane Rozzell