Is adding a JJ P&A Program to JJDPA constitutional?
• There is no constitutional impediment to creating a JJ P&A Program. It merely identifies the JJ system as a priority area for P&A activity, complementing existing federal P&A grant programs. • Youth confined in secure JJ facilities have constitutional rights to: be safe from abuse and neglect; necessary treatment for health and mental health problems; and educational and special education services they would receive if not confined. • Youth who are referred to juvenile delinquency court have a right to fair court proceedings that accord them their due process safeguards and reasonable accommodations for their disabilities, and a right to have all relevant information to be considered by decisionmakers.
