I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5178 
To enhance public safety by improving the reintegration of youth offenders 
into the families and communities to which they are returning. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 29, 2008 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, 
Mr. PAYNE, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, and Ms. CLARKE) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor and Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To enhance public safety by improving the reintegration of 
youth offenders into the families and communities to 
which they are returning. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Youth Reentry Im-
provement Act of 2008’’. 
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TITLE 
I—JUVENILE 
JUSTICE 
AND DELINQUENCY PREVEN-
TION FORMULA GRANTS 
SEC. 101. ANNUAL REPORT. 
Section 207(1) of the Juvenile Justice and Delin-
quency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5617(1)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (E) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (F) by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) the number of juveniles released from 
custody and the types of living arrangement to 
which the juveniles were released.’’. 
SEC. 102. STATE PLAN. 
Section 223(a) of the Juvenile Justice and Delin-
quency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5633(a)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (27), at the end by striking 
‘‘and’’; 
(2) in paragraph (28), at the end by striking 
the period and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
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‘‘(29) ensure a procedure for assuring that each 
adjudicated juvenile has a written case plan, based 
on an assessment of such juvenile’s needs and devel-
oped in consultation with the juvenile and their fam-
ily (as appropriate), that— 
‘‘(A) describes the pre-release and post-re-
lease programs and services that will be pro-
vided to the juvenile to promote the juvenile’s 
learning and treatment while under the jurisdic-
tion of the juvenile justice system and to facili-
tate the juvenile’s successful reintegration into 
the community; and 
‘‘(B) includes— 
‘‘(i) a description of the living ar-
rangement to which the juvenile is to be 
discharged, including a discussion of the 
safety, appropriateness, and permanence of 
the living arrangement; and 
‘‘(ii) a plan for enrollment of the juve-
nile in post-release financial, housing, 
counseling, medical, mental health, sub-
stance 
abuse, 
employment, 
vocational, 
training, educational, family support, pub-
lic assistance, legal, and victim service pro-
grams and services, as appropriate; 
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‘‘(30) support the development of procedural 
safeguards which will be applied, among other 
things, to assure each adjudicated juvenile of a hear-
ing, in a family or juvenile court or another court 
(including a tribal court) of competent jurisdiction, 
or by an administrative body appointed or approved 
by the court, no earlier than 30 days prior to the ju-
venile’s scheduled release, which hearing shall deter-
mine the discharge plan for the juvenile, including a 
determination whether a safe, appropriate, and per-
manent living arrangement has been secured for the 
juvenile and whether enrollment in financial, hous-
ing, counseling, medical, mental health, substance 
abuse, employment, vocational, training, educational, 
family support, public assistance, legal, and victim 
service programs and services, as appropriate, has 
been arranged for the juvenile; 
‘‘(31) ensure that discharge planning and pro-
cedures are accomplished in a timely fashion prior to 
each adjudicated juvenile’s release from custody and 
do not delay the juvenile’s release from custody; and 
‘‘(32) provide a description of the State’s use of 
funds under this part and other funds for post-re-
lease and aftercare services for juveniles released 
from confinement in a juvenile justice facility.’’. 
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SEC. 103. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION; STATISTICAL 
ANALYSES; INFORMATION DISSEMINATION. 
Section 251 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5661) by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(f) OUTCOME STUDY OF FORMER JUVENILE OF-
FENDERS.—The Administrator shall, directly or via con-
tract, conduct a study of adjudicated juveniles to report 
on outcomes for juveniles who have reintegrated into the 
community. The study should provide information on out-
comes in the areas of family reunification, housing, edu-
cation, employment, medical, mental health, substance 
abuse recovery, repeat maltreatment, repeat victimization, 
and repeat offending. The study shall include an analysis 
of the juveniles’ fidelity to their discharge plans, including 
whether the post-release resources and services anticipated 
in their discharge plans to be made available to the juve-
niles were in fact made available.’’. 
TITLE II—YOUTH OFFENDER 
REENTRY GRANTS PROGRAM 
SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
The Attorney General shall carry out a program 
under which the Attorney General may award grants to 
States to provide for programs designed and conducted for 
the following purposes: 
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(1) To identify individuals who are incarcerated 
in correctional facilities and who are likely to be re-
leased from such facilities before attaining 25 years 
of age. 
(2) To help such individuals make the transi-
tion to self-sufficiency by providing— 
(A) pre-release services such as discharge 
planning and reentry planning; 
(B) training in— 
(i) daily living skills; 
(ii) parenting skills; 
(iii) budgeting and financial manage-
ment skills; and 
(iv) victimization avoidance; 
(C) substance abuse prevention; 
(D) mental health counseling; 
(E) preventive health activities (including 
smoking avoidance, nutrition education, sexu-
ally transmitted illnesses prevention (including 
HIV prevention), and pregnancy prevention); 
and 
(F) assistance in applying for income as-
sistance, health insurance, proof of identity, a 
driver’s license, and applicable vital records, for 
which the individual may be eligible. 
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(3) To help such individuals receive at the pre- 
release and post-release stages the education, train-
ing, and services necessary to obtain employment 
and housing. 
(4) To help such individuals at the pre-release 
and post-release stages prepare for and enter post-
secondary training and education institutions. 
(5) To provide personal and emotional support 
to such individuals at the pre-release and post-re-
lease stages through mentors and the promotion of 
interactions with dedicated adults. 
(6) To provide post-release financial, housing, 
counseling, employment, vocational training, edu-
cational, medical, mental health, substance abuse 
services, assistance in applying for public benefits, 
family support, and legal and victim service pro-
grams and services, and other appropriate support 
and services to such individuals to— 
(A) complement their own efforts to 
achieve self-sufficiency; and 
(B) assure that program participants rec-
ognize and accept their personal responsibility 
for preparing for and then making the transi-
tion from adolescence to adulthood. 
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(7) To make available to such individuals post- 
release vouchers for postsecondary education and 
training. 
(8) To help such individuals at the pre-release 
and post-release stages repair harm to victims, fam-
ily members, and communities caused by their of-
fense, including through community service, through 
victim impact programming, through conflict resolu-
tion, and through dialogue processes. 
SEC. 202. APPLICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State may apply for funds from 
its allotment under section 203 for a period of five con-
secutive fiscal years by submitting to the Attorney Gen-
eral, in writing, a plan that meets the requirements of sub-
section (b) and the certifications required by subsection 
(c) with respect to the plan. 
(b) STATE PLAN.—A plan meets the requirements of 
this subsection if the plan specifies which State agency 
or agencies will administer, supervise, or oversee the pro-
grams carried out under the plan, and describes how the 
State intends to do the following: 
(1) Design and deliver programs to achieve the 
purposes of this title. 
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