Hello, my name is Liz Ryan. I am the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or OJJDP. This year, OJJDP and our partners are celebrating a momentous milestone—the 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, also known as the JJDPA.
Our theme for this golden anniversary is “Looking Back, Moving Forward: Celebrating 50 years of the JJDPA.” It’s an opportunity to reflect on what the juvenile justice field has accomplished under the JJDPA with support from OJJDP—and a call to continue that momentum. We have made progress, but we cannot rest. Our youth deserve a truly just and equitable system that prioritizes prevention and intervention.
President Gerald R. Ford signed the JJDPA into law on September 7, 1974, marking a pivotal shift in how states and territories approached youth justice. He issued a statement on the JJDPA one day later, on September 8. He said the law reflects a national commitment to reduce delinquency, to keep youth “from entering the treadmill of the criminal process,” and guarantees “procedural and Constitutional protection” for them. He called the JJDPA “a constructive effort to consolidate policy direction and the coordination of all federal programs,” to help states and localities cope with youth delinquency.
“The direction of our federal programs has been fragmented for too long,” said President Ford. His statement ended with hope—an assertion that the JJDPA would result in “greater security for all citizens and more purpose, sense, and happiness in the lives of young Americans.”
The JJDPA was groundbreaking, providing—for the first time—federal standards across the country and federal funding for all states and territories, not just pilot funding for a few places, to ensure a minimum level of safety and equitable treatment for young people impacted by the juvenile justice system.
Why was it necessary?
A 1976 report by the Children’s Defense Fund captured the dire state of youth justice at that time. Up to half a million children were held in adult jails each year. Jurisdictions seemed to take a haphazard approach to the jailing of children, the report said. Researchers found a 12-year-old girl in jail for stealing quarters from a washing machine, an 11-year-old boy who spent three days in jail while waiting to be questioned about a robbery, and a 15-year-old boy who was held for arguing with his parents.
Even more disturbing, many of these children endured unsafe conditions, maltreatment, and abuse, damaging their mental and physical health.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked to improve the treatment of youth who come into contact with the law. In that time, I have visited many juvenile detention and correctional facilities, as well as adult jails, with appalling conditions of confinement for the youth who were detained or incarcerated there. I have seen the harm it causes to young bodies and minds, and the negative impact that detention and incarceration has on families.
Throughout the years, I’ve seen the harmful impacts of state laws that prosecute youth in adult criminal court, as well as place youth in adult jails and prisons. While we’ve collectively worked to reduce the numbers, still too many youth are being processed through adult criminal court.
On the flip side, I’ve seen the positive impact of providing youth with what they need to grow and thrive, such as family and community; and meeting the basic needs of youth in their own neighborhoods and offering opportunities that help youth achieve their goals. That vision of a positive future for every young person is what drives me and my colleagues at OJJDP to do this crucial work; uplifting what works to ensure our young people grow and thrive.
This year’s commemoration underscores the progress we have made and the momentum we continue to build.
We will wrap up the anniversary year on a high note with a national conference, hosted by OJJDP, on November 19 to 21, in Washington, DC. I invite you to join OJJDP in celebrating the JJDPA’s golden anniversary.
Visit our 50th Anniversary website to learn more about what has been accomplished under the JJDPA and OJJDP’s leadership at ojjdp.ojp.gov.
Thank you and spread the word!
