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U.S. House Subcommittee Passes Youth PROMISE Act
On October 29, 2009, by a vote of 8-1, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security approved H.R. 1064, the Youth PROMISE Act, with no amendments. The bill, which has garnered the support of 232 co-sponsors since its introduction, now awaits consideration by the full House Judiciary Committee.
Originally sponsored by U.S. Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and Michael Castle (R-DE), H.R. 1064 is informed by more than thirty years of research and more than fifty criminal and juvenile justice experts’ opinions about what works and what does not work to keep youth away from criminal gang activity. The Senate cross-file, S. 435, is originally sponsored by U.S. Senators Robert “Bob” Casey (D-PA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
Under the Youth PROMISE Act, communities facing the greatest youth gang, delinquency and crime challenges will come together to develop and implement a comprehensive local plan to support young people and their families. The ultimate goals are to make our communities safer, reduce victimization, and help at-risk young people to lead law-abiding and healthy lives, free from gangs, delinquency and/or criminal involvement.
Uniquely, the Youth PROMISE Act also provides for thorough evaluation, including analyses of the cost-savings to society yielded by investing in prevention and intervention rather than in more costly and ineffective prosecution and incarceration. Under the Youth PROMISE Act, savings from investments in prevention and intervention programs will be reinvested in prevention and intervention efforts funded under the Act.
In addition, the Youth PROMISE Act provides for the hiring and training of Youth Oriented Policing (YOPS) officers to address juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity in a manner that is responsive to the research on juveniles and adolescent brain development. The Act also includes support for youth victim and witness protection programs, which are critical to deter crime.
Finally, the Youth PROMISE Act provides for increased local coordination of federal programs designed to prevent juvenile delinquency and youth crime, and establishes a federal commission charged to carry out a nationwide, comprehensive study of the effectiveness of crime and delinquency prevention and intervention strategies.
As of the writing of this column, more than 250 international, national, state and local organizations and jurisdictions have signed on in support of the Youth PROMISE Act, including the American Correctional Association, Boy Scouts of America, the National Association of Counties, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. CJJ is an original and proud supporter of the Youth PROMISE Act, and we look forward to working with CJJ members and allies to further educate Members of Congress about the benefits of the PROMISE approach.
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