Federal Policy

As our members’ national presence, we educate and inform Members of Congress and the Administration on state-identified needs and concerns in the arena of juvenile justice. Each year, CJJ publishes and disseminates recommendations to the Administration and to Congress. We also create tools and resources to support our members’ work in the states and territories. CJJ hosts an annual Hill Day in conjunction with our national conference in Washington, DC. 

CJJ is a member of and works closely in collaboration with the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (NJJDPC). The NJJDPC is a collaborative array of youth and family serving, social justice, law enforcement, corrections, and faith-based organizations. The Coalition works to ensure healthy families, build strong communities, and improve public safety by promoting fair and effective policies, practices, and programs for youth involved or at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. CJJ staff serves on the NJJDPC steering committee and co-chairs the coalition's Act 4 JJ working group.
Federal Policy Priorities

  • Secure full implementation of the reauthorized Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA);
  • Restore federal juvenile justice funding; and
  • Promote positive school climates and build on proven strategies to increase school engagement and success for all youth and prevent the conflation of school discipline policy and juvenile justice system sanctions, also known as the “school-to-prison-pipeline.”