Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Bill Makes Sense
Earlier today, I testified before the
Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of House Bill 3229, legislation I
am co-sponsoring that would expand the juvenile court’s jurisdiction to include
17-year-olds found to have committed mostly misdemeanors and other non-violent
crimes. Currently, all 17-year-old offenders are processed through the
adult court system.
Research has shown that kids placed in
the adult system are more likely to re-offend and to commit more violent crimes
than their peers who are placed in the juvenile system. Also, children
held in adult facilities are at an increased risk of suicide and of becoming
victims of physical and sexual assaults.
By placing 17-year-olds in the juvenile
court system, they will be able to continue their education and participate in
age-appropriate treatment and counseling. More importantly, making this
change will also ensure that parents are notified when their 17-year-old child
is arrested, and will enable them to be involved in the court process,
something that is not allowed under current state law because 17-year-olds are
treated as adults.
Passage of House Bill 3229 would not bar
17-year-olds accused of murder from being tried and sentenced in adult court,
nor would it prevent those individuals accused of other serious crimes from
being indicted as youthful offenders and given adult sentences. However,
for 17-year-olds who commit lesser crimes, this change makes perfect sense.
Recently, there was an editorial in the
Gloucester Daily Times further highlighting the importance of changing the
juvenile court’s jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds. Please click here
to read the editorial.
