Prohibiting Detention of Youth Status Offenders Act of 2015

Prohibiting Detention of Youth Status Offenders Act of 2015

This bill amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, with respect to the detention of a juvenile status offender (a juvenile arrested for an offense that would not be a crime if committed by an adult) who violates a valid court order, to require the court placing such juvenile in detention to issue a written order that: (1) identifies the valid court order that has been violated; (2) specifies the factual basis for determining that there is reasonable cause to believe that the juvenile has violated such order; (3) includes findings of fact to support a determination that there is no appropriate less restrictive alternative available to placing the juvenile in a secure detention or correctional facility, with due consideration to the best interest of the juvenile; (4) specifies the length of time, not to exceed three days, that the juvenile may remain in such facility and includes a plan for the juvenile's release; and (5) may not be renewed or extended. It provides that a juvenile status offender may only be detained once in any six-month period. The bill eliminates, not later than one year after the enactment of this Act, the use of valid court orders to provide secure lockup of juvenile status offenders.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov