What is the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act?
The purpose behind the FJDA is to remove juveniles from the ordinary criminal federal court process in order to avoid the stigma of a prior criminal conviction and to instead encourage treatment and rehabilitation. The act only applies to individuals alleged to have committed a violation of federal law before their 18th birthday, or for purposes of proceedings and dispositions under the Act, for an alleged act of juvenile delinquency by a person who has not attained their 21st birthday.
