Three juvenile justice bills jointly authored by Sens. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) won approval March 21 in their first hearing at the Senate Public Safety Committee, according to Lara’s office.
Senate Bill 190—Juvenile Fees ends the “harmful, unlawful and costly” assessment and collection of administrative fees against families with youth in the juvenile justice system.
Senate Bill 394—Juveniles Life Without the Possibility of Parole brings California into compliance with the Montgomery v. Louisiana decision that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life without parole.
Senate Bill 395—Miranda Rights for Youth requires youth under the age of 18 to consult with legal counsel before they waive their constitutional rights in interrogations with police.
“A recent study of exonerations found that 13 percent of adults had falsely confessed, compared to 42 percent of juveniles. False confessions are a problem for youth and for the very idea of fair justice,” Lara said. “Given those shocking numbers, it is critical to ensure youth understand their rights before waiving them.”
Mitchell said too many poor youth and kids of color are more likely to end up as victims of the juvenile justice system.
“If one believes that our children will be tomorrow’s leaders then we must look through a child-development lens and provide the appropriate resources and policies to get them there,” Mitchell said.
As drafted, SB 190 would end the “harmful, unlawful and costly” assessment and collection of administrative fees against families with youth in the juvenile justice system. The measure coincides with a growing trend by which at least four counties— Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa and Santa Clara— in the past year have stopped collecting the fees due to the high societal and family costs and the limited or non-existent revenue collected.
Source: Lara’s office
