Vitter, Casey, Inhofe, Peters Introduce Criminal Justice Reform Legislation that Seeks to Blunt School to Prison Pipeline

Press Release

U.S. Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Bob Casey (D-PA), James Inhofe (R-OK), and Gary Peters (D-MI) announced that they have introduced criminal justice reform legislation that seeks to blunt the school to prison pipeline. The bipartisan Youth PROMISE Act allows local governments to use more of their existing federal funding to invest in youth violence prevention programs, like mentoring. The plan, which is complimented by companion legislation in the House of Representatives, aims to help empower local communities to implement evidence-based programs that aid at risk youth before they encounter the criminal justice system.

"As a father of four, I know how important it is to give our kids every opportunity to succeed," Senator Vitter said. "This bill uses our criminal justice dollars in proven programs that divert our country's most vulnerable kids from a life of crime and violence and helps create a safe environment to learn and make our communities stronger."
"Our criminal justice system, and in particular our juvenile justice system, is badly broken," Senator Casey said. "Our schools shouldn't be just a waystation before jail. Allowing local communities to invest in evidence based approaches that target at risk youth before they enter the criminal justice system will lead to higher graduation rates, better jobs and ultimately a stronger economy."

"The Youth PROMISE Act is a bipartisan, community-based approach to prevent America's young people from turning to a life of crime," said Senator Inhofe. "By providing localized, evidence-base methods for mentoring and youth outreach programs, we can help keep at-risk youth out of prison and put them on a path towards a more promising future."

"Too many of America's youth are directly involved in senseless violence, and we must take action to address this serious issue so our kids are able to have a good shot at a better life," said Senator Peters. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Youth PROMISE Act, which takes a comprehensive, community-based approach towards tackling and preventing violence in our schools and neighborhoods."

On any given day in the United States, approximately 60,000 young people are incarcerated, costing taxpayers about $5 billion each year. The Youth PROMISE Act (Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) would empower local communities to fund, implement and evaluate evidence-based youth violence prevention and intervention strategies. These prevention practices, such as mentoring and after-school programs, reduce crime more effectively and at a lower cost than incarceration. In fact, a recent study in Pennsylvania found that it saved $5 for every $1 invested in high-quality prevention and intervention programs.