Juvenile Justice

In the past, juveniles convicted of crimes were routinely housed in adult prisons, and as a result, were often subject to assault, including rape, by both inmates and prison staff members. In 1974, Congress passed the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) to begin to standardize and improve juvenile justice procedures. The JJDPA remains the most important measure protecting the rights of juvenile offenders in our criminal justice system. However, many issues remain within our society and the juvenile justice system which have created racial disparities and are contributing to the “school-to-prison-pipeline.”

The Union for Reform Judaism is a member of Act 4 Juvenile Justice (Act4JJ) and the National Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Coalition, the coalition that works on JJDPA reauthorization, appropriations, and improvement (Women of Reform Judaism is also a member of Act4JJ).