U.S. Senators from Vermont, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania have introduced a bill that would significantly change the nation's juvenile justice system.

"S3155 would encourage states to keep youth in juvenile facilities... look for ways to address racial disparities in the juvenile justice system, and tighten loopholes that allow judges to detain children who have committed nondelinquent status offenses - running away from home, truancy... and other infractions that are not crimes once the defendant is an adult."

Called the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act, the bill will be voted on by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, then - if it passes - be put to a full Senate vote.Source: Sentinel and Enterprise

Labels: juvenile_deliquents, juvenile_justice_system