Carroll County Attorney John Werden is one of the leading voices behind a push in Washington, D.C. to reauthorize legislation aimed at reducing national crime rates through youth programs. Werden serves on the executive board for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, an organization that has spent the last quarter century advocating for data-driven initiatives geared toward helping troubled children before they become entangled in the justice system. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
In 2018, Congress reauthorized the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) for the first time since 2002. Werden played a critical role in urging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support the program. Last week, Werden met with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley to advocate for additional funding for the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program.
According to Werden, JJDPA and MIECHV are initiatives that address the most common indicators of a propensity toward crime.
Werden notes JJDPA and MIECHV are not currently utilized in Carroll County as limited funding is allocated to where it is needed most. Werden says Fight Crime: Invest in Kids’ latest push for increased funding has support from the entirety of Iowa’s Congressional delegation. The bill, which would provide funding to MIECHV through 2027, must be approved by the end of this year, or it will need to be reintroduced in the 118th Congress.