A national advocacy group is pushing a petition campaign for passage of a new juvenile code in Georgia.
Change.org, a national website that provides daily news and information about social justice issues, is circulating an online petition in support of SB 292. According to the website, 38 people have signed up in support.
Among many issues, the state bill focuses on:
- Keeping kids tried as adults in juvenile detention centers until they turn 17, rather than putting them in adult prison. (Supporters say this will help protect incarcerated children from being victimized behind bars).
- Keeping status offenders, kids who’ve committed crimes like skipping school and drinking alcohol, from being incarcerated.
- Separating “delinquent” kids from “unruly” kids.
- Providing more flexibility to judges in ordering restrictive custody for children who have committed designated felonies. (Current law requires a mandatory five-year commitment).
Article 7, which focuses on separating “delinquent” kids from “unruly” kids, will be discussed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
To sign the petition, click here.
Read more about SB 292 as reported by JJIE.org:
Article 7 Senate Hearing on Thursday
Long Road to New Juvenile Code
For the current proposed model code, click here.