Cárdenas Introduces Resolution Designating October 2023 National Youth Justice Action Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congressman David Trone (MD-06), and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) introduced a resolution designating October 2023 as National Youth Justice Action Month. The resolution sheds light on the collateral consequences youth face when they are treated as adults in the criminal justice system and encourages the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to prioritize rehabilitation and support over wasteful incarceration. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden proclaimed October 2023 to be National Youth Justice Action Month.
“As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, we are reminded that we must always strive to better meet the needs of youth in our communities,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “For far too long, our nation has relied on an outdated juvenile justice system that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation. Growing up in Pacoima, I saw this destroy kids’ lives and impact families for years to come. I am proud to bring attention to National Youth Justice Action Month because it is an opportunity to recommit to giving our children the tools to learn, grow, and change for the better after making a mistake.”
“I’m proud to join Congressman Cárdenas, Congresswoman Moore, and Senator Whitehouse in designating October as National Youth Justice Action Month to emphasize the importance of giving young folks a second chance," said Congressman David Trone, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Second Chance Task Force. "Our juvenile justice system is made up of young folks who've dealt with lifelong trauma and desperately need support services. As someone committed to reforming our criminal justice system in Congress, I'm proud to have successfully led the charge to ensure juvenile pretrial detainees receive Medicaid coverage. With this resolution, we make a commitment to establish better resources and care for young justice-impacted individuals and improve their lives for the better.”
“I remain committed to helping build bright futures for every system-involved youth and have met with dozens of former foster youths who share this priority,” said Congresswoman Moore. “That’s why this National Youth Justice Action Month, I am recognizing the intersection of the child welfare system and the juvenile justice system and pledge to keep working toward needed reforms that speak to the needs of these vulnerable young people.”
A companion resolution is set to be introduced by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
“Kids who end up in the legal system deserve a second chance to get their lives on track,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former Rhode Island Attorney General and U.S. Attorney. Whitehouse co-led the bipartisan reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act in 2018. “This October, we recommit to improving our juvenile justice system and continuing to build on the successful changes we’ve made.”
The United States has the highest youth incarceration rates of any developed nation. Each year, 76,000 of America’s youths are tried or sentenced as adults – most of whom are prosecuted for nonviolent offenses. Children under the age of 18 are not allowed to vote, yet in many states, children as young as seven can be tried as adults. According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, prosecuting youth in adult courts increases crime – on average, they are 34 percent more likely to commit future crimes than youth detained in the juvenile system.
“Decades of research tells us we are all safer when we focus on giving youth what they need to thrive, not spending more money to push them through the prison pipeline. This Youth Justice Action Month, we challenge members of Congress and leaders nationwide to invest in holistic systems of wellness and care for youth, not building more facilities to lock kids away. We thank those members of Congress who have shown a steady commitment to ensuring all youth receive the necessary support to realize their full potential,” said Tracey Tucker, Executive Director at the National Juvenile Justice Network.
"The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is grateful for Rep. Cárdenas, Rep. Trone, and Rep. Moore's commitment to youth justice. YJAM recognizes how far we have come as a country, and how far we have left to go, to keep our most vulnerable youth safe. As we head into the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, we are pleased to see Congress' continued commitment to young people and their communities."
“We know that strong families and supportive communities are the key to safety and opportunity for young people ” said Lisette Burton, J.D., Chief Policy and Practice Advisor for the Association of Children's Residential & Community Services. “We appreciate that Congress is recognizing Youth Justice Action Month as a time to underscore what our courts have affirmed: children are different from adults, and our policies and systems must reflect that truth.”
Congressman Cárdenas has long been a leader on juvenile justice issues, beginning with his time in the California State Assembly when he co-authored and passed AB 1913, the Schiff-Cárdenas Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act. This law provided local communities with approximately $120 million per year, the single largest appropriation of state funds for youth crime prevention in the history of the United States. Now in Congress, he is the founder and chairman of the Youth Justice Caucus, working to support at-risk youth and fix the major problems in the United States juvenile justice system. This year, he introduced the Second Chance for Justice Package, a group of bills aimed at reforming the criminal and juvenile justice system, alongside Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).
The resolution is endorsed by the International Community Justice Association, Association of Children's Residential & Community services (ACRC), Boys Town, Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Coalition on Human Needs, Dream.org, Fair and Just Prosecution, Haywood Burns Institute, Human Rights for Kids, Justice and Joy National Collaborative, JustLeadershipUSA, Juvenile Law Center, MENTOR, National Alianza for Youth Justice, National Juvenile Justice Network, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Rights4Girls, Sayra & Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts, Strategies for Youth Inc., The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, The Daniel Initiative LLC, The Gault Center, The Sentencing Project, Treatment Communities of America, Union for Reform Judaism, Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., Youth First Justice Collaborative, Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, DESTINATION INNOVATION INC – Progeny, and The Choice Program at UMBC, Sycamores?(California).
To read the resolution, click here.
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