Presidential Document2021-21896
National Youth Justice Action Month, 2021
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 5, 2021
Signed
September 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55459-55460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21896]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 5, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 55459]]
Proclamation 10272 of September 30, 2021
National Youth Justice Action Month, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
I have often said that America's young people are the
kite strings that hold our national ambitions aloft--
they carry the possibilities of our country and the
sacred promise of a democracy where every one of us is
treated equally and entitled to equal justice under the
law. However, far too many of our young people are
effectively excluded from participating in our
democracy, having been sidelined by unnecessary
encounters with the justice system. They deserve a
second chance.
During National Youth Justice Action Month, I call upon
States and communities to join me in seeking justice
for our youth and modernizing our juvenile justice
system, a system that should allow young people to
build their lives and grow with freedom and dignity.
Long-standing inequities in our society--including in
our juvenile and criminal justice systems--continue to
disproportionately burden people of color and people
with disabilities. Nationwide, Black youth are more
than four times as likely as their white peers to be
held in juvenile facilities, and they come into contact
with both the juvenile justice and the child welfare
systems at far higher rates. Additionally, one-third of
young people in juvenile justice facilities have a
disability, including many with emotional distress and
learning disabilities. To deliver equal justice and
equal dignity to all people, it is imperative that we
root out racial inequities and other forms of
discrimination from these systems.
Although youth arrests are at their lowest levels in
decades, each arrest can create a ripple effect of
heightened risks and negative consequences for young
people. Once in the system, young people may face
abusive treatment and dangerous conditions, including
excessive use of restraint, guard-instigated fights,
and sexual assault. Adverse environments and lack of
support make it difficult for young people who enter
the carceral system to lead healthy, productive lives
upon exiting.
To give all of our young people a chance to live up to
their full potential, we need to shift our approach
from a default stance of incarceration to one of
prevention--a strategy that recognizes that children's
developmental stages and needs are starkly different
from those of adults. Addressing racial disparities in
school discipline and supporting proven early
intervention efforts like afterschool and mentoring
programs are simple steps we can take to help all young
people find a sense of purpose and contribute to their
communities. Many States are making a greater effort to
keep teenagers under the jurisdiction of juvenile
courts, which take their developmental needs into
account and are better equipped to support their
rehabilitation than systems built for adults.
In my Fiscal Year 2022 budget, I proposed an $800
million investment to more than double our current
funding for juvenile justice and youth reentry programs
that protect children and help young people get the
services they need to get back on their feet. This
includes incentives for States and communities that
introduce reforms to reduce youth incarceration--
including repurposing juvenile detention facilities to
focus more on youth development. It also includes
resources to develop research-based solutions
[[Page 55460]]
to steer kids away from detention and toward more
positive alternatives. Through grants provided by the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
at the Department of Justice, we are giving young
people access to high-quality legal representation and
resources to help them better manage the consequences
of their contact with the system. We will ensure that
young people in the juvenile justice system receive the
counsel they are entitled to and will work to address
the disproportionately high enforcement directed
against young people of color.
Moreover, my Administration is working to ensure that
all young people have the support they need to avoid
entering the justice system in the first place. I have
proposed $1 billion for a new School-Based Health
Professionals grant program to help double the number
of counselors, nurses, social workers, and other health
professionals in our schools. In addition, I have
proposed $443 million for Full-Service Community
Schools, which would provide comprehensive wrap-around
services to students and their families. Programs like
these help ensure that more young people grow up in
supportive environments and have what they need to
reach their full potential.
It is the responsibility of all of us to support
America's youth and ensure that they are in a position
to thrive in every community. By shifting our focus
from incarceration to prevention, we can bring about a
brighter future for our young people and our country as
a whole. Together, we can fulfill the promise of an
America that is just and equitable for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2021
as National Youth Justice Action Month. I call upon all
Americans to observe this month by taking action to
support our youth and by participating in appropriate
ceremonies, activities, and programs in their
communities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2021-21896
Filed 10-4-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P
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