Juvenile Justice Amendments of 1980 Statement on Signing S. 2441 Into Law.

On July 1st of this year, I sent a message to Congress indicating my deep commitment to the goals and objectives of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. I am pleased to reiterate that commitment by signing S. 2441, the Juvenile Justice Amendments of 1980. This legislation will continue the authorizations of both the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act for 4 years.

The children of America are our most precious resource. One negative experience with the justice system can permanently mar a young person's future. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act is particularly important, because it establishes a program to prevent young people from having that first negative experience with the criminal justice system, rather than reacting to incidents after their occurrence. Six years after its enactment, we can take great pride in its accomplishments. It has demonstrated many new alternatives to traditional methods of dealing with children in the juvenile justice system and contributed to substantial progress in providing fair and effective treatment for our young people.

The report of the House Committee on Labor and Education found that since passage of the original act, the proportion of serious crimes committed by juveniles has steadily dropped.

The major share of funds under the act is allocated to the States to implement the programs each State decides are most appropriate and effective for that particular State. I am particularly pleased that Congress accepted an amendment advocated by the administration which will result in the removal of juveniles from adult jails and lockups. This provision will go a long way toward addressing what the Deputy Attorney General termed a "national catastrophe" when testifying before Congress last March.

It is also satisfying that provisions of the law which call for the coordination of Federal juvenile delinquency programing have been strengthened. The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has provided Federal agencies with an effective means of marshaling their forces and acting in a unified and consistent manner. These efforts to reduce duplication and promote interagency cooperation should serve as a model for all levels of government.

Other provisions of S. 2441 authorize assistance for children who have run away from home or who are otherwise homeless, establish a separate Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Justice Department assuring the independence necessary to effectively do its job, and reduce redtape at the local level.

Since first enacted in 1974, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act has enjoyed a broad base of support from public agencies and private organizations and strong bipartisan support in the Congress. I would like to give particular credit to Senator Birch Bayh, an author of the original 1974 legislation. The children of the country will lose an effective advocate when he leaves the Congress. I would like to thank Senator Strom Thurmond, Congressman Ike Andrews, and Congressman E. Thomas Coleman, who managed the bill and were instrumental in assuring that the legislation was not ignored in the closing days of the congressional session.