FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AG
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1997                            (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


  STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO ON JUVENILE JUSTICE
   LEGISLATION PASSED TODAY BY THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno issued the
following statement on the juvenile justice bill reported out of
the Senate Judiciary Committee today:

     "Today's juvenile justice bill heads us in the right
direction, but does not get us to where we need to go.  While it
contains some important provisions, it fails to include many that
are critical to ensuring an appropriately balanced approach to
fighting youth crime.  

     "The bill strengthens federal law enforcement by giving
prosecutors more discretion, increasing victims' rights, and
toughening the penalties for illicit gun sales and drug
transactions involving children.  That is clearly needed.  

     "But to win the long-term fight against juvenile crime, we
must do more to break the link between kids and guns--by barring
violent juveniles from obtaining guns after they turn 18, and
enacting a child safety lock requirement.  To truly succeed, we
also must balance the necessary tough enforcement measures with
targeted, effective, crime prevention and intervention
initiatives at the state and local levels.  

     "The Senate bill gives state and local prosecutors and
courts only a small fraction of the available money to help keep
at-risk kids from returning to the juvenile system.  It targets
no money at all for after-school programs to help keep kids out
of trouble in the first place.  And it fails to ensure that kids
in the state juvenile systems will be housed separately from
adults, so that those who come in as delinquents will not leave
as hardened criminals.  

     "I look forward to working with Congress to address these
issues.  We will continue to work for a balanced, comprehensive
bill that safeguards our children and protects our communities."

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97-307