Senate Criminal Justice Committee Passes SB 936: Juvenile Justice

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice will be considering SB 936, a bill which makes several key reforms to the juvenile justice system, including:

• Prohibiting children younger than 14 from being prosecuted as adults for offenses punishable by death or life imprisonment.
• Revising the list of crimes for which 16- and 17-year-olds can be charged as adults.
• Requiring juveniles between age 14 and 17 who are convicted as adults to be kept completely separate from adult offenders in prison.

The bill was introduced by Senator Bobby Powell (D-District 30), who represents the northeast portion of Palm Beach County. The text of the bill and the bill analysis and fiscal impact statement are also available. A similar bill, HB 509, has been filed in the House of Representatives.