Cárdenas, Trone, Moore, and Senator Whitehouse Introduce Resolution Designating October 2024 National Youth Justice Action Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congressman David Trone (MD-06), and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) introduced a resolution designating October 2024 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 week, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a companion resolution in the U.S. Senate.
“For over 20 years, I have worked alongside my colleagues, experts, practitioners, advocates, and individuals to fight on behalf of youth in marginalized communities who are far too often pushed into our country’s mass incarceration system,”
“It should be our nation’s highest priority to build a brighter future for our youth. As a nation with the highest youth incarceration rate, this priority is even more vital,” said Congressman Trone. “During National Youth Justice Action Month, we recommit ourselves to calling for accountability in our justice system and focusing on compassionate, effective policies to ensure everyone is given the chance to achieve the American Dream. We cannot accept the status quo – let’s get to work.”
“Youth Justice Action Month is an opportunity to lift up and call for juvenile justice reforms that help young people grow, develop, and become their best selves,” said Congresswoman Moore. “This resolution reaffirms this as a key priority, which will benefit all our communities.”
“Kids who end up in the legal system deserve a fair shot at a brighter future. Yet, too often, our system fails them – particularly young people of color and those with disabilities,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former Rhode Island Attorney General and U.S. Attorney. “During National Youth Justice Action Month, we recommit to building a justice system focused on meaningful rehabilitation and redemption for all of our young people.”
“The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is grateful for Rep. Cardenas's steadfast commitment to youth justice,” said Executive Director, Melissa Milchman. “YJAM is a time to educate about how far we have come as a country and how far we have left to go in youth justice reform. It is also a time to inspire action to ensure youth and communities have the resources, tools, and supports they need to thrive. As we acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act this year, we are pleased to see Congress' continued commitment to youth and their communities."
“Strong families and supportive communities are the key to safety and opportunity for young people,” said Lisette Burton, Chief Policy and Practice Advisor for the Association of Children's Residential & Community Services and Co-Chair of the Act4JJ Coalition. “We appreciate that the House of Representatives, through the longstanding leadership of Congressman Cárdenas, 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.”
“As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the JJDPA this Youth Justice Action Month, we challenge members of Congress and leaders nationwide to invest in trauma-informed, healing-centered solutions for youth in our communities. Through decades of research, we know that prioritizing services within the community rather than investing in the prison pipeline creates safer communities for everyone. We thank the members of Congress who continue to show a steady commitment to ensuring youth and families have what they need to thrive,” said Tracey Tucker, Executive Director at the National Youth Justice Network.
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.
To read the resolution, click here.
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