The House Judiciary Committee is considering HB23-1249, Reduce Justice-involvement For Young Children, bipartisain legislation to end the prosecution of children 12 years and younger and empower alternative child-serving systems, including mental health, education, and child welfare agencies, to address the behavior, deliver treatment and family supports instead of prosecution.
Did you know that kids as young as 10 years old are subject to being arrested and prosecuted— most for child-like behavior or minor misbehavior? Children of color bear the brunt of Colorado’s reliance on prosecuting young children.
Research shows that addressing a child’s misbehavior through the justice system harms them AND is more expensive and less effective than alternative interventions. There are other reasons that it’s problematic to address a child’s misbehavior through the juvenile justice system, too:
- It increases their chances of incarceration as an adult by up to 41%.
- It decreases the chances of high school graduation by up to 39%.
- 1 out of every 4 incarcerated children between ages 10 to 12 are victims of violence while incarcerated.
there’s a better way…
Community-based programs outside the justice system are a safer, cheaper, and more effective way to get to the heart of family problems, trauma, or just a poorly thought-out decision by a child.
This bill will end the prosecution of children 12 years and younger and empower alternative child-serving systems, including mental health, education, and child welfare agencies, to address the behavior, deliver treatment and family supports instead of prosecution.
