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COMMENT ON THE WORK OF THE OJJP Victims and others interested in public safety and how the government spends its money on juvenile offenders, while there is nothing for their victims in the way of help or support, please take advantage of this public comment period on the priorities of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention. Submit comments electronically via http:// www.regulations.gov. Search for ‘Juvenile Council’ to get to the docket for this notice. The Council prefers to receive comments through http://www.regulations.gov where possible; however, you may also mail them to Robin Delany-Shabazz, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 810 Seventh Street, NW., Washington, DC 20531. To ensure proper handling, in the lower left hand corner of the envelope and in your correspondence clearly reference ‘‘OJP (OJJDP) Docket No. 1524.’’FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit the website for the Council at http://www.juvenilecouncil.gov ;call the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at 202–307–5911 (this is not a toll-free number); or e-mail your inquiry to juvenilecouncil@usdoj.gov
HELP PREVENT TEEN KILLERS!
STOP HR 2289 HR 2289 is filed May 6, 2009 in the US Congress by Congressman Bobby Scott of Richmond, VA. More about it NOVJL Testified before the US Congressional House Crime Subcommittee of the Judiciary on June 9, 2009. Click here to see the entire 90 minute hearing including NOVJL board member's testimony. Download our entire written submitted testimony to the Congressional committee. Crime Victims Action Alliance of California set up this easy website to write Congress to oppose HR 2289 See some media coverage about the testimony:
See HRW press release about the legislation that would deprive states of federal monies if they do not offer parole to convicted murderers under age 18 at the time of their crimes who are serving natural life prison sentences. The US Congressional House Crime Subcommittee, sponsored by Rep Bobby Scott, has filed legislation that would force states to begin offering parole to offenders that are sentenced to JLWOP or stand losing 10% of all their Federal Crime Funds. Last year HR 4300 saw Congressional Hearings held that did not include or invite a single victims' family member. We will attempt to meet with Congressman Scott's staffers.
But so far, they are committed to proposing the worst possible model for victims
families: Parole and periodic review. They are not, at this time, taking up our
recommendation to examine the alternatives we propose to them such as
eliminating the mandatory transfer of juvenile to adult court. However on June
9, 2009, Congressman Scott said he would meet with us.
Victims Rights in Legislation Recently at the NOVA Conference two JLWOP family members met with staffers for the Congressional Crime Victims Rights Caucus and have begun the process to get meetings with victim -friendly Congressmen to support legislation to protect victims rights of offenders facing retroactive sentence reduction. CONTACT us for more information.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION FILED TO FORCE STATES TO END JLWOP Congressman Scott of Richmond, Virginia and Conyers of Detroit, Michigan file a proposal to END JLWOP nationally - the "Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement Act of 2007" (Introduced in House) -HR 4300 IH then HR 2289 (09-10) Visit their website for more information on the bill: http://hr4300.com/Bill_Contents.html and please post on the blog there urging the victims families to be included! And contact the Congressional committee that will be asked to hear this bill. How can the Federal Government make states change their sentencing laws? By cutting their Federal Funds! "State that fails to be in compliance with this section shall not receive 10 percent of the funds that would otherwise be allocated for that fiscal year to that State under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.), whether characterized as the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Programs, the Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, or otherwise." Also, the bill has a significant legal problem inherent in it that shows clearly it has not been well-researched or thought out: the bill mandates parole reviews for all states and MANY states do not have any parole system at all and have only determinate sentencing. To require those states set up parole bureaucracies that massively burden the victims families, apply to only a handful of cases, and are incredibly expensive to establish and administer, constitutes an unfunded mandate for states of staggering proportions! That the Congressmen filing this bill have not given any effort to find and inform victims families of these murders is troubling. Both Scott and Conyers represent largely minority and inner city populations and they may have an incomplete picture of what the national picture is with JLWOP. That their website promoting the bill says absolutely NOTHING about the crimes committed by these convicted killers, tried as adults due to the seriousness of their offenses, is more disturbing. That there is not a FUNDAMENTAL and PRIMARY focus on the victims families left behind BEFORE consideration for those serving the prison sentences, is beyond comprehension. We urge the bill's sponsors and supporters to contact us, to contact all the victims of these crimes, and to START their efforts there - where we are - with the crimes, the murders, the atomic destruction in the lives left behind. Deal with that first, and then we can have a conversation about what is the best thing to do with the offenders.
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