Top law enforcement brass from San Antonio and Austin joined forces Thursday in urging Congress to reauthorize legislation aimed at curbing crime among youths.
(Article by Elizabeth Zabala, republished from http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Area-law-enforcers-push-for-Congress-to-renew-6808033.php)
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, first enacted in 1974, is up for reauthorization and is making its way through Congress. Law enforcement officials in Texas have a stake in it — to the tune of $800 million in funding through fiscal year 2020, according to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national bipartisan anti-crime organization.
The nonprofit gathered San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau, state District Judge Laura Parker and Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo to voice support for the act.
Parker, one of three judges who preside over Bexar County juvenile courts, said showing a united front with law enforcement helps get the message out, from the front end to the back, “that locking kids up is not good for them” and should be reserved for serious offenders.
She noted that one of the important things the bill could do is provide needed funding for things such as mental health outpatient services for more youths.
“When we have more resources, we can do a better job in those areas,” Parker said.
McManus said prevention and addressing behaviors that lead to crime are good ways to protect public safety, adding, “Our goal is to keep youths from turning to crime in the first place.”
Pamerleau said the legislation has been a game-changer, providing money for programs that can save youths at the beginning instead of incurring more expense if they go into the adult criminal justice system.
“These programs right the cycle of juvenile delinquency, and they are evidence-based, so we know that they work,” she said.
Pamerleau said Texas spends about $518 million each year on juvenile justice programs.
“If you think about this, $160,000 a year (is what) it takes to keep a juvenile in custody. It only takes $55,000 to send someone to Rice University,” she said. “I’d rather be spending our taxpayer dollars on sending young people to college than incarcerating them in the juvenile justice system.”
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids also released a report, “Never is Better, but Once is Enough,” which highlights how programs and interventions with high-risk kids that are funded by the federal law can cut recidivism rates.
Texas has been a model in juvenile justice reform since the state made changes in 2007. According to statistics provided by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, commitments of youths to state facilities have decreased 71 percent since 2006, and between 2007 and 2012, the state reduced funding for the operation of state-run secure facilities by more than $150 million and increased funding for local juvenile probation departments by 38 percent.
Read more at: http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Area-law-enforcers-push-for-Congress-to-renew-6808033.php
