Statement of Alfred S Regnery Before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice Concerning Missing Children Assistance Act and Reauthorization of OJJDP - S 2014 on March 8, 1984

• NCJ Number: 93473
• Author(s): A S Regnery
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Legislative Hearing/Committee Report
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Testimony from the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) outlines the Administration's positions on the Missing Children's Act and reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act, particularly provisions on deinstitutionalization of status offenders and administration of juvenile justice programs.

Abstract

The Department of Justice supports with minor modifications portions of the proposed Missing Children's Act, which would establish a national resource center and clearinghouse on missing children information. The OJJDP is developing a plan for a National Center on Missing and Exploited Children which should accomplish most of the goals envisioned by S.20l4 and urges that activities contemplated in this bill be performed under Title IV of the Administration's Comprehensive Crime Control Act of l983. The Administration opposes reauthorization of Title II of the JJDP Act and instead proposes that the functions of the OJJDP be carried out by the proposed Office of Justice Assistance. A primary purpose of the JJDP Act was to deinstitutionalize status offenders, and this largely has been accomplished. A study comparing deinstitutionalized status offenders with nondeinstitutionalized status offenders revealed no differences in recidivism, and the JJDP Act has had unwanted side effects, such as encouraging juvenile authorities to neglect runaway and homeless children and bringing juveniles into the system who previously would have been handled informally. Thus, the Administration feels that Federal restrictions regarding State deinstitutionalization efforts should be lifted. In addition, Federal delinquency programs based on social service concepts should be housed in departments other than Justice, and all programs related to the criminal justice system should be funded through the Office of Justice Assistance. OJJDP should be eliminated as a separate office. Materials on State compliance with JJDP deinstitutionalization requirements are appended.