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| Effort Aims to Give Teens a ‘Second Chance’ |
| By jjie.org- Andrew Dowd |
| Published: 09/30/2013 |
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Sept. 28--Wisconsin attorneys are pushing to undo a law -- enacted in the mid-1990s in reaction to a wave of juvenile crime -- that puts 17-year-olds in the adult criminal justice system. The State Bar of Wisconsin is one of the lead groups lobbying for the "Second Chance Bill," a proposal that would put first-time, nonviolent 17-year-old offenders through juvenile court rather than adult court, where offenders can be sentenced to jail or prison. "They end up experiencing something 17-year-olds shouldn't be experiencing," George Brown, executive director of the State Bar, said Thursday during a visit to Eau Claire. Younger inmates can be abused by larger convicts or learn more advanced criminal techniques in jail, Brown said. Putting them into the adult justice system decreases their opportunities for jobs, good housing and joining the military, Brown said, but raises the likelihood they'll reoffend. The state Assembly's Committee on Corrections will be the first to review the bill in a public hearing set for Thursday in Madison. While previous efforts didn't get much traction, Brown said he's confident the current bill has the right scope and support to do well in the Legislature. Read More. |
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