Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2025

Improved Protection for Juveniles in Custody: The bill requires that if a juvenile is held for violating a court order, an authorized representative must interview them in person within 24 hours and submit an assessment to the court within 48 hours (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(iii)).

Limits on Unnecessary Confinement: For juveniles held in secure detention or correctional facilities due to a court order, the bill limits the stay to a maximum of 7 days and requires a written order that includes a release plan (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(iii)).

Targeted Diversion and Support: The bill expands promising programs to specifically include those intended to help divert youth from the justice system before or after arrest (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(B)(v)(Z)).

Enhanced Protections in Adult Facilities: For juveniles treated as adults and held in adult jails or lockups, the bill mandates they have no sight or sound contact with adult inmates (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(D)(A)(i)).

Greater Inclusion in Data and Programs: The bill expands the types of data collected to include the socioeconomic status of youth and expands reporting categories to include religion, national origin, and sexual orientation (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(B)(v) and Section 2(b)(2)(A)(J)).

Improved Training Approaches: The bill updates requirements to include trauma-informed approaches to investigating allegations of sexual and physical abuse (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(M)(i)).

Mandatory Elimination of Certain Confinement Practices: By September 30, 2028, states must eliminate the use of valid court orders to provide secure confinement for juveniles committing status offenses (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(C)).

Limitations on Local Agency Funding: Local public and private nonprofit agencies can only receive funds under certain paragraphs upon a showing of exigent circumstances and for no more than two consecutive years (Section 2(b)(2)(B)(2)).