[pic above] is a July 8, 2008 letter from Keith B. Nelson,Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General to Senator Patrick Leahy.In a response from Senator Patrick Leahy who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, Mr. Leahy shares with me in an email on Tuesday on the status of the Senate committee's oversight request from the Attorney General Michaal Mukasey regarding the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention grant award policies:
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
To: *******@****.com
Sent: Tue, 13 Jan 2009
Subject: From Senator Patrick Leahy
Dear ********:
Thank you for contacting me about my oversight request regarding Office
of Juvenile Justice Prevention grant award policies. I appreciate
hearing from you and apologize for the delay of my response.
Sent: Tue, 13 Jan 2009
Subject: From Senator Patrick Leahy
Dear ********:
Thank you for contacting me about my oversight request regarding Office
of Juvenile Justice Prevention grant award policies. I appreciate
hearing from you and apologize for the delay of my response.
On June 27, 2008, I sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey
asking for information on how the Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention
awards its grants after several reports surfaced in the press that the
Department of Justice was awarding grants to groups that scored lower
than less politically-connected organizations. On July 8, 2008, the
Department of Justice replied to my letter informing me that they would
provide 15,000 pages of documents that outline the grant process. On
July 25, they delivered 14,960 pages that my staff and I have begun to
examine in great detail.
asking for information on how the Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention
awards its grants after several reports surfaced in the press that the
Department of Justice was awarding grants to groups that scored lower
than less politically-connected organizations. On July 8, 2008, the
Department of Justice replied to my letter informing me that they would
provide 15,000 pages of documents that outline the grant process. On
July 25, they delivered 14,960 pages that my staff and I have begun to
examine in great detail.
Juvenile justice grant programs are essential federal programs that help
state and local governments improve their programs to help our nation's
youth stay out of trouble and avoid a downward spiral of crime and
punishment as they get older. Oversight of these programs is equally
important, and that is why I requested these documents and will work to
ensure that these important programs are administered properly going
forward.
Additionally, last year, I introduced the bipartisan Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 with Senators Specter and Kohl. This bill would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 through 2013 while encouraging states and local governments to keep young offenders out of adult prisons, where studies show they are more likely to learn and act upon criminal behavior. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee on July 31, 2008, but unfortunately, the Senate was unable address the bill before the 110th
Congress ended. You can be assured that I will reintroduce this legislation early in the new Congress and build upon the significant progress that was made last year.
I have attached a copy of the Department of Justice's July 8 letter. Unfortunately, I cannot attach the nearly 15,000 documents they later provided, but I will continue to work diligently on this issue and make sure the Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention is administered fairly,
regardless of the administration in charge.
Thank you again for your letter. Please keep in touch.
Patrick Leahy http://leahy.senate.gov/images/Frank200.jpg
PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator
state and local governments improve their programs to help our nation's
youth stay out of trouble and avoid a downward spiral of crime and
punishment as they get older. Oversight of these programs is equally
important, and that is why I requested these documents and will work to
ensure that these important programs are administered properly going
forward.
Additionally, last year, I introduced the bipartisan Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 with Senators Specter and Kohl. This bill would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 through 2013 while encouraging states and local governments to keep young offenders out of adult prisons, where studies show they are more likely to learn and act upon criminal behavior. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee on July 31, 2008, but unfortunately, the Senate was unable address the bill before the 110th
Congress ended. You can be assured that I will reintroduce this legislation early in the new Congress and build upon the significant progress that was made last year.
I have attached a copy of the Department of Justice's July 8 letter. Unfortunately, I cannot attach the nearly 15,000 documents they later provided, but I will continue to work diligently on this issue and make sure the Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention is administered fairly,
regardless of the administration in charge.
Thank you again for your letter. Please keep in touch.
Patrick Leahy http://leahy.senate.gov/images/Frank200.jpg
PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator
To catch up on OJJDP Administator J. Robert Flores probe and the Juvenile Justice scandal, click here.
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