Senate Hearing on Juvenile Justice in Indian Country

• •The hearing was held on July 15, 2015, by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
• •The Indian Law and Order Commission reported in 2013 that Native American youth are overrepresented in federal and state justice systems.
• •The 2013 Commission report found that Native American youth receive harsher sentences than other juveniles.
• •The Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American Indian-Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence issued a report in November 2014.
• •Existing reports indicate that Native American youth in the justice system often do not receive adequate services for rehabilitation or recidivism prevention.
• •The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 was previously passed to address juvenile justice issues in Indian Country.
• •The hearing included testimony from officials representing the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

This hearing serves as a formal legislative review to identify gaps in juvenile justice services for Native American youth, which may inform future federal funding and policy changes regarding tribal law enforcement and rehabilitation programs.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.