H.R.3846

Title: To provide for evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention to help build individual, family, and community strength and resiliency to ensure that youth lead productive, safe, healthy, gang-free, and law-abiding lives.
Sponsor: [D] Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [2] [VA-3] (introduced 10/16/2007); Cosponsors (17)
Latest Major Action: 10/16/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.Summary: 1) The Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act (Youth PROMISE Act) builds upon evidence-based methods proven to reduce youth violence and delinquency and directs resources towards communities facing an increased risk of crime and gang activity in order to enable those communities to begin to address significant unmet needs. 2) Communities facing the greatest youth gang and crime challenges will come together – via a local council that includes law enforcement, community-based organizations, schools, faith organizations, health, social service, and mental health providers  – to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies targeted at young people and their families to make our communities safer, reduce victimization, and help at-risk young people to lead law-abiding and healthy lives, free from gang and/or other criminal involvement.  3) The bill provides for thorough evaluation, including analyses of the cost-savings to society yielded by investing in prevention and intervention, as opposed to more costly and ineffective prosecution and incarceration.  4) Re-invests savings from prevention and intervention programs into the programs funded under the Youth PROMISE Act

Contact: House Committee on Education and Labor, (202) 225-3725; House Committee on the Judiciary, (202) 225-3951

ASPIRA Policy Position

ASPIRA supports the positive development of youth through community-based efforts.  ASPIRA also supports prevention programs over enforcement efforts as a strategy to reduce gang and other juvenile criminal involvement.   ASPIRA supports programs that are evidence-based and therefore proven effective.  

ASPIRA supports community involvement in the design and implementation of positive youth development programs.