Promote Safe Communities and Brighter Futures

Abstract

In 2009, Congress will decide on a critical issue affecting many Latino youth: whether or not to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA). This law provides federal standards and mandates for safeguarding the care and custody of children and youth in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Without such protections, many young Latinos will face a justice system that lacks accountability and fairness.