Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered remarks at the meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) on June 27, 2024. In his speech, Mizer expressed gratitude to Amy for her leadership of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) over the past three years and acknowledged Liz Ryan and her team in OJJDP for their continued efforts in building safer communities and expanding opportunities for youth.
Mizer highlighted several pressing issues affecting young people today, including the overdose crisis, social isolation, and anxiety about school shootings. He noted that gun violence remains a significant challenge, citing a recent advisory from the Surgeon General declaring firearm violence a public health crisis. According to Mizer, gun deaths have been rising steadily over the last decade, with firearm violence being the leading cause of death among children and teens for the past four years. He emphasized that this violence disproportionately affects people of color, with Black and Latino youth being up to seven times more likely than white youth to experience firearm homicide.
Mizer pointed out that trauma from exposure to gun and community violence has profound effects on both mental and physical health, often lasting a lifetime. He stressed the importance of early identification and intervention in preventing harmful outcomes associated with traumatic childhood experiences.
The Acting Associate Attorney General praised OJJDP’s Continuums of Care initiative as a blueprint for intervention and support aimed at helping justice-involved youth overcome adversity. He also mentioned efforts to integrate trauma-informed strategies into programs across the public safety spectrum to break cycles of harm among those who come into contact with the justice system.
In closing, Mizer expressed gratitude for the work of experts collaborating on behalf of youth through this council. "You are the champions they need at the time when they need it most," he said. He looked forward to hearing their recommendations later in the year.