Orrin Hatch: “I speak on Senate amendment 2759, which Senator Kohl and I introduced to restore juvenile justice funding to the…”

“I speak on Senate amendment 2759, which Senator Kohl and I introduced to restore juvenile justice funding to the Department of Justice. The proposed amendment would increase the administration of justice function by $122 million and offset the allowances function of the budget. The prevalence of justice crime continues to be among the greatest criminal justice challenges faced by our nation, and a major concern to every parent. In 2002, juveniles accounted for 16.5 percent of all criminal arrests in the United States. Persons under 18 committed 10 percent of all murders, over 17 percent of all rapes, nearly 24 percent of all robberies, and 50 percent of all arsons. Additionally, in 2002, 101 juveniles under 15 were arrested for murder. Juveniles under 15 were responsible for six percent of all rapes, 11 percent of all burglaries, and one-third of all arsons. And, unbelievably, juveniles under 15--who are not old enough to legally drive in any state--in 2002 were responsible for 8 percent of all auto thefts. To put this in some context, consider this: in 2002, youngsters age 15 to 18, who are only seven percent of the population, committed 16.5 percent of all crimes. Even with recent modest reductions in the juvenile crime rate, I believe that there is strong potential for significant increases in juvenile crime above already too-high rates as the children of the baby boom generation are coming into the prime age for criminal activity.”