ACTION ALERT: HELP RESTORE CRITICAL JUVENILE JUSTICE FUNDING

This Wednesday, September 14 at 2:30 p.m. EST, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) will consider its appropriations bill for the FY 2012 cycle. The CJS Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all federal juvenile justice programs, including those programs authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).

This past July, the House Appropriations Committee approved funding levels totaling only $123 million for juvenile justice programs in FY 2012 – a 55% reduction from FY 2011 and a more than 70% cut from FY 2010. Specifically, the House Appropriations Committee wants to decrease funding for the JJDPA Title II program by more than 35% and eliminate two other key programs all together.

These reductions will undermine our collective efforts to strengthen the JJDPA, and jeopardize juvenile justice improvements essential to protecting our nation’s communities and most at-risk youth.

We need your help! Please sign on to this letter and join the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition and Act4JJ in telling the Senate to preserve and restore critical juvenile justice funding.

To sign on to the support letter, send your contact information and the name of your organization to andrews@juvjustice.org by Tuesday, September 13 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

Thank you!