SAN ANTONIO – A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, held a press conference on Thursday at the San Antonio Riverwalk Marriot to help promote juvenile delinquency prevention.
The nonprofit was there with their organization's national and state leadership, as well as law enforcement leaders, including San Antonio police Chief William McManus and District Judge Laura Parker.
The group wants to get kids out of jails and into programs. McManus supports the approach.
"And that's the whole idea, to keep them out of the justice system, to keep them from having arrest records that could affect them for the rest of their lives," McManus said.
Parker presides over the Texas's 386th Judicial District and also chairs the Bexar County Juvenile Board. She said Bexar County has been a leader for years in choosing a programmatic approach over jail.
"We've had the attitude for many years that we should not be locking up low-level, low-risk offenders, and really reserving the detention and out-of-home placement for those very serious offenders that have high needs and are also at high risk to re-offend," she said.
Natasha O'Dell Archer, the national executive director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, said her organization consists of 5,500 law enforcement leaders fighting toward the goal of getting the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act (JJDA) re-authorized by Congress.
If passed by Congress, the law would set aside $800 million to be shared through the U.S. to help keep juveniles out of jail.
Supporters say the cost of not getting the legislation passed is much greater.
"So when we're talking about the re-authorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, we're really talking about three things. One: reducing recidivism. Two: saving taxpayer dollars. And three: encouraging states to do what works," Archer said.
Parker said if one simple idea were followed, many law enforcement personnel would gladly be out of work.
"Truancy, many times, is the very first gateway into getting deeper into the justice system. And so I would like to promote school as a priority even for very, very young children," Parker said.
For more information, click here to visit the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids website.