This week, Texans joined with others from across the country to send the U.S. Congress an important message—we care about improving future prospects for youth in the juvenile justice system, we support programs effective at protecting against youth crime, and we expect the federal government to be a good partner to states and counties in a united front to help youth participate positively in their communities. We acted in conjunction with a federal partner organization, Act 4 Juvenile Justice, who organized July 7th as the National Call-In Day for Juvenile Justice. Our goal is to get the U.S. Congress to revise the federal legislation, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, that guides states' juvenile justice work before the year ends.
Texas is in the middle of changing course from being tough on youth crime—which didn't turn out to be as effective as its proponents hoped—to getting smart on youth crime. We need the federal government to change course with us since federal funds and guidelines influence what we do as a state. Here are some pro-community, pro-youth policy changes afoot in Texas that would be strengthened by passing the federal legislation:
- Housing youth tried as adults in juvenile facilities—a more effective and developmentally appropriate place for them—until they become adults, rather than in adult facilities.
- Improving protections for any juveniles who continue to be held in adult jails and prisons against their much higher risks of committing suicide, being assaulted by adult inmates, and graduating into more sophisticated criminal activity after they are released.
- Serving children and youth who are truant from school, who runaway from home, who break curfews, or who violate alcohol and tobacco laws with cost-effective interventions shown to work better than lock-down juvenile detention centers—like shelters, crisis counseling, family support, and community-based interventions.
- Taking specific steps to reduce the over-representation of youth of color in the juvenile justice system.
You can see the full message that Texans Care has sent to the U.S. Congress by clicking here for our letter to U.S. Senators and here for our letter to U.S. Representatives from Texas. It's not too late for you to tell your representatives that you care about these issues, too, and that you want them to act this year. Click here for tips and messages you can use.
