Letter to Fund Juvenile Justice Programs

The following letter was sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, urging them to continue to fund and support juvenile justice programs.

Dear Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Serrano,

On behalf of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national organization of more than 5,000 law enforcement leaders, we write in support of robustly funding juvenile justice programs in the FY18 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Specifically, we urge you to prioritize investments in Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Title II and Title V grants and to maintain support for mentoring programs at the levels outlined in the Committee-passed Senate FY17 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill proposed last year.

As law enforcement leaders, public safety is our number one priority. Evidence-based programs that deter youth from crime, or rehabilitate those starting to offend, provide critical support for law enforcement agencies across our states. These programs address root causes of criminal involvement by engaging the family and reasserting personal responsibility in the young person. In fact, programs like Functional Family Therapy and Multisystemic Therapy have been shown to cut youth recidivism by 50 to 60 percent. Alongside proven mentoring programs, these programs promote public safety, preserve law enforcement resources, and help put more kids on a path toward success.

Although many states and communities have made great strides in recent years to reform their juvenile justice systems and support preventative programs, states cannot do it alone. By funding Title II and Title V grants at the FY17 Senate-proposed levels of $63 million and $27.5 million, respectively, Congress can help states continue to improve their juvenile justice systems and prevent more troubled kids from becoming repeat offenders. We urge you to continue to fund these proven, fiscally responsible crime prevention strategies in the final FY18 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.