?tlnittd $t?tt8 Bantu?: WASHINGTON, DC 20510 April 11,2018 The Honorable Jerry Moran The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen Chairman Ranking Member Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Science, and Related Agencies Senate Committee on ApprOpriations Senate Committee on Appropriations Dirksen Senate Of?ce Building Dirksen Senate Of?ce Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Shaheen, As your subcommittee prepares to consider the FY2019 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJ S) Appropriations Bill, we write to urge you to support the juvenile justice and delinquency prevention programs detailed below. Given the significant decline in appropriations that federal juvenile justice programs have received over the past several years, we believe that it is imperative to provide as much funding as possible for the following programs, but at a minimum: 0 $75 million for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (J DPA) Title 11 State Formula Grants Program; $42 million for the JJDPA Title Delinquency Prevention Program; Restore funding for the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) Program; $18 million for the Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative; $4 million for the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention; $2 million for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System; $0.5 million for the Children of Incarcerated Parents Web Portal. Since 1974, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act has provided critical federal funding to ensure states comply with a set of core protections that shield youth from the dangers of adult jails and lockups, keep status offenders out of locked custody, and address the disproportionate representation of minorities in the justice system. State Formula Grants support state compliance with these core protections and help ensure that states have the resources to build effective systems that reduce recidivism and promote public safety. Despite ful?lling a critical need in every state, appropriations for this core-funding stream have declined over the last decade. The requested amount is the minimum level of federal investment necessary to support states in building effective juvenile justice systems that promote better outcomes for youth and the public. Title is the only federal program that provides delinquency prevention funding at the local level. Through focusing on reducing risk, enhancing the protective factors that prevent at-risk youth from becoming delinquent, and targeting ?rst-time and non-serious offenders, Title funds help prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system in the ?rst place. The program has been used successfully in communities across the country to bring together key community, law enforcement, and child welfare stakeholders, to develop and sustain effective prevention efforts. Studies repeatedly Show the signi?cant cost savings that come from investing modest amounts in proven prevention programs. The JABG program is used in the states to reduce juvenile offending by providing judges and other juvenile justice of?cials a range of age- and developmentally appropriate options that hold youth accountable while giving them the assistance they need to avoid reoffending. This is the only dedicated source of funding for accountability-based programs serving youth in the justice system. The Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative program reduces and prevents youth violence through street-level outreach, con?ict mediation, the changing of community norms and other local activities. This program supports states and localities in implementing coordinated and multidisciplinary approaches to gang and violence prevention, intervention, suppression, and reentry in targeted communities. Finally, we ask that you provide dedicated funding streams to the National Forum on Youth Violence, the Girls in the Juvenile Justice System Program, and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Web Portal. The National Forum on Youth Violence is building a national conversation around youth and gang violence and better coordinating violence prevention efforts across law enforcement, schools, social services, juvenile justice and criminal courts, mental health, and neighborhood and community-based organizations. The Girls in the Juvenile Justice System program provides programming speci?c to the needs of girls, including trauma informed screening, assessment, and care. Grants support community-based prevention and diversion programs for status-offending girls; school-based programs for high-risk elementary and middle school girls; mentoring programs speci?cally for girls; girls? group homes; and dedicated probation of?cers. Nearly 2.7 million children in the United States have a parent in prison. The Children of Incarcerated Parents Web Portal consolidates information on federal resources, grant opportunities, best practices, and other resources to support the 2.7 million children of incarcerated parents in the United States and their parents. These relatively modest, targeted federal investments in state and local juvenile justice programs pay signi?cant dividends in the form of reduced juvenile crime and recidivism, better outcomes for youth, and increased public safety in communities across the country. Thank you for your attention to our request. Sincerely, . t; a" M. - istophbr'S. Murphy I: Cory A. Booker United States Senate United States Senate Edward J. Marke% a United States Senate 39W: Sherrod Brown United States Senate Mazie WHirono ed States Senate Christopher A. Coons United States Senate mtg/W Maria Cantwell United States Senate 131/? 9 Dianne Feinstein United States Senate United States Senate Ron Wyden? United States Senate Chris Van Hollen United States Senate Bernard Sanders United States Senate Tammguckworth Unite States Senate . 1 Richard Blumenthal United States Senate Robert Menendez United States Sen be bub-?- Riehard J. Durbin Unit enate OM )dga/U; Tom Udall United States Senate NM NM