Juvenile Sentencing (H 5333, S 341)

As the Supreme Court has noted, adolescence is marked by “transient rashness, proclivity for risk, and inability to assess consequences.” This legislation (H 5333 and S 341), sponsored by Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell and Sen.Harold Metts, addressed the problem of lengthy prison sentences for juveniles who are charged as adults. We testified in favor of the bill, which would have allowed juveniles sentenced in this manner to automatically come before the parole board after fifteen years, regardless of the length of their sentence. Unfortunately this bill died in committee in both chambers.