SB 59

This bill expands the acts for which a juvenile may be placed in the Serious

Juvenile Offender Program (SJOP) or in a juvenile correctional facility or secured

residential care center for children and youth under the Juvenile Justice Code.

Under current law, a juvenile who is 14 years of age or over and who has been

adjudicated delinquent by the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under the

Juvenile Justice Code (juvenile court) for committing or conspiring to commit certain

law violations may be placed in the SJOP. This bill expands the law violations for

which a juvenile may be placed in the SJOP to include any act that would be a felony

if committed by an adult.

Also under current law, if the juvenile court determines that placement in the

SJOP is not appropriate, a finding that a juvenile has committed any of a number

of law violations that would be felonies if committed by an adult is prima facie

evidence that the juvenile is a danger to the public and in need of restrictive

placement. Under current law such a juvenile may be placed in a juvenile

correctional facility or a secured residential care center for children and youth. This

bill expands the list of acts constituting prima facie

evidence that the juvenile is a

danger to the public and in need of restrictive placement to any act that would be a

felony if committed by an adult.