FY 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act Expected to Be Signed into Law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 20, 2019
Contact:
Campaign for Youth Justice
Aprill O. Turner
Phone: (202) 821-1604
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Naomi Smoot
Phone: (202) 467-0864 ext.113;
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
FY 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act Expected to Be Signed into Law
Fiscal Year 2020 brings another funding increase to juvenile justice programs, just one day before the anniversary of the reauthorization of the JJDPA.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Donald Trump is expected to sign into law H.R. 1865, the $1.4 trillion FY 2020 omnibus appropriations bill. The bill includes small increases in spending for key provisions of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), marking the third consecutive year of increases in funding levels. The bill was signed just one day before the one-year anniversary of the historic reauthorization of this critical Act.
The omnibus provides $63 million for Title II of the Act, up from $60 million in FY 2019. Title II supports innovative state efforts to adhere to standards that reduce the risk of harm to court-involved youth, ensure fair treatment of minority youth, improve the way systems address delinquent behavior, and ensure citizen involvement and expertise through the State Advisory Groups. The omnibus also provides $42 million for Title V of the Act, which is one of the only federal programs specifically designed to prevent delinquency at the local level. This marks a drastic increase from FY 2019, when Title V programs only received $27.5 million in funding.
In addition to the increase in funding levels for Title V, this is also the first year since FY 2016 that Congress has not completely earmarked all of the funding provided under Title V. The reauthorization of the law significantly expanded the types of delinquency prevention programs that qualify for funding under Title V, allowing for a broader, more holistic approach to addressing the needs of youth who have been in contact with the justice system and preventing delinquency. However, earmarking the funding limits how those dollars can be used. This year, $14.5 million of the overall $42 million will remain open for states and localities to use on the more than twenty categories of programming defined under the Incentive Grants for Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education (Youth PROMISE grants).
While this year’s funding bill does represent yet another year of increases for funding of juvenile justice programs, the omnibus does fall short of the funding amounts provided for in the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, which reauthorized the JJDPA for the first time in sixteen years. The bill authorizes a total of $176 million every year for fiscal years 2019-2023 for the Department of Justice to operate programs under the Act.
“While we hoped to see the JJDPA funded at authorizing levels for the first full year of the reauthorized Act, we are glad to see the continuing upward trend of investment in juvenile justice programs. Increased investment in these programs is critical to ensuring our kids and communities are safe," says Rachel Marshall, Federal Policy Counsel for the Campaign for Youth Justice and Co-chair of the Act4JJ Campaign.
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, we look forward to continuing to work with Congress to ensure these important programs are fully funded.
For more information go to www.ACT4JJ.org
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About Act 4 Juvenile Justice - Act 4 Juvenile Justice (ACT4JJ) is a campaign of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (NJJDPC), which represents over 80 national organizations who work on youth development and juvenile justice issues. ACT4JJ is composed of juvenile justice, child welfare and youth development organizations advocating for the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) and increased federal funding for juvenile justice programs and services.