February 25, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 34 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H2088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            JUVENILE JUSTICE

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, just recently, I was very proud and 
pleased that this body passed my legislation, the Juvenile Block Grant 
Anti-Bullying and Intervention Act, dealing with the prevention of 
bullying but, more importantly, dealing with the opportunities for 
communities across America to begin to think more creatively about how 
you deal with juvenile justice, how you deal with young people of 
juvenile age who have gone awry of school laws, regular actions of 
criminal activities. How do you deal with these young people?
  It is clear that the juvenile justice system needs to be reformed. As 
a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, it is my commitment to 
listen to people from across the Nation.
  Many people don't realize that once you are committed to a juvenile 
detention center or facility or jail, under juvenile laws in most 
States, and many of them receiving Federal dollars, you will find that 
there is no definitive sentence. They are sentenced and could be there 
from age 14 to 21.
  It may be that their parents do not have resources to get them out; 
it may be that they do not have an alternative place to go; and it may 
be that they have no representation. That is not the way to treat young 
people.
  So we will be looking for legislation to incentivize our States to 
change the juvenile justice and the criminal justice system, and we 
look forward to working with all of our colleagues.

                          ____________________