New bills continue criminal justice changes in California
Originally posted in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The San Diego Union-Tribune cites research findings by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in an article about recent justice reforms including Senate Bill 439, which protects children under 12 from prosecution in the juvenile justice system.
From the article:
Brown also signed Senate Bill 439, a second juvenile justice bill that has not attracted much notice. This bill bans prosecuting anyone under 12 years old, even in juvenile courts. Advocates said it was needed because the state had no law specifying a minimum age for prosecuting children.
In 2015, 874 children under 12 were referred to state juvenile courts for prosecution, according to the Bay Area Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice. While most of those referrals were closed or dismissed before getting to court, the group said about 250 youths under 12 ended up being prosecuted that year.