Chairman Goodlatte Statement at Markup of Juvenile Justice Reform

Chairman Goodlatte: The Committee’s Criminal Justice Reform Initiative seeks to address a number of issues, including juvenile justice reform.  We continue forward with our efforts today with consideration of H.R. 68, the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act.  This bill reauthorizes the Justice Department’s Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) program, strengthens the JABG program to reduce youth crime and contains a robust accountability and oversight mechanism to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and appropriately. I thank the sponsor of this legislation, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for her dedication and hard work on this issue. Crimes committed by our nation’s youth strike at the very core of our communities. Our children are the promise of a bright future and our hope for continued prosperity. Reducing juvenile crimes and improving the juvenile justice system is a vital step to preserving and protecting the future of our children. The JABG program provides grants to states, tribes and localities to strengthen their juvenile justice systems and reduce recidivist behavior. The JABG program currently has 17 authorized purpose areas, including the implementation of graduated sanctions for juveniles; support for prosecutorial initiatives aimed at curbing drug use, violence, and gangs; accountability-based school safety initiatives; the establishment of juvenile drug courts; and bullying and cyberbullying prevention. The JABG program was most recently reauthorized in 2005, and despite JABG currently being unauthorized, this bipartisan program continued to receive funding through 2013. JABG received appropriations most recently in Fiscal Year 2013, when it received $25 million.  The JABG program has a long history of bipartisan support among members of the Judiciary Committee.  A reauthorization of this program will send a clear message to our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee that we support reinstating funding for this program. Again I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for her work on this issue.  I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. For more on today’s markup, click here. ###