Sen. Chuck Grassley wants to know why delinquency prevention programs that seemingly violated the terms of the federal grants that funded them continued to receive taxpayer money after whistleblowers accused the Justice Department of pouring millions into states that illegally locked up foster children, young runaways and “vulnerable minors.”
The Iowa Republican demanded answers to allegations that children running away from violence or abuse were allowed to spend time in adult jails against the DOJ’s own grant policies in a Jan. 14 letter to Karol Mason, assistant attorney general at the Office of Justice Programs.
Wisconsin whistleblowers alleged “there was underreporting of the number of youth who were incarcerated” in the state program but that the Justice Department had continued to fund it fully for years “despite indications of fraud,” according to a Sept. 5 letter Grassley sent the agency addressing the same issue.
Grassley told the Washington Examiner the case has highlighted the need to reform the DOJ’s grant programs, which he said is one of his goals as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The whole point of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention program is to help youth get on the right track. States can receive federal dollars to help achieve this goal, but only if they meet important benchmarks set by Congress,” Grassley said.
“To learn that some states are not only failing these kids, but that the Justice Department still hands them federal dollars without ensuring they meet the federal requirements, is an injustice,” he said.
In his most recent message to DOJ, Grassley gave Justice officials until Feb. 6 to respond to a series of questions digging into the reporting policies that allowed state programs to cover up the number of foster children who were incarcerated in adult jails.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act barred the 50 states and five U.S. territories that received formula grants under the act from allowing status offenders or neglected children to spend time in correctional facilities or be in contact with adult offenders.
Tom Devine, legal director at the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, said the government’s probe into the case has been marred by obstruction and whistleblower retaliation, and has dragged on for years.
Devine’s organization has provided legal representation to the original Wisconsin whistleblower in the ongoing investigation.
Grassley said in the letter his staff has talked to whistleblowers who suggested that at least four states and territories similarly mismanaged the DOJ grant program.
