Prohibiting Detention of Youth Status Offenders Act of 2024

HR 8626, the Prohibiting Detention of Youth Status Offenders Act of 2024, prohibits states from detaining youth in secure facilities for non-criminal status offenses like skipping school, curfew violations, or running away. It eliminates the 1980 "VCO exception" that allowed such detentions under court orders, requiring states to stop using this practice within one year (with possible limited extensions). The bill limits any remaining detention to a maximum of three days per instance and restricts it to once every six months. This directly affects youth aged 14-17 charged with status offenses, particularly impacting states receiving federal juvenile justice funding.