DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado lawmakers debated a bill Wednesday that would help reform the justice system by reducing its involvement with young juveniles.
HB22-1131, which is named “Reduce Justice-involvement For Young Children,” was discussed during the Judiciary committee’s meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
If passed, the bill would help keep young children out of the criminal justice system, but some opponents of the legislation wonder whether or not lawmakers are approaching the subject correctly.
Current pending legislation:
- There is a bill on the Senate floor that looks to end the use of deceptive questioning tactics to get young people to confess during interrogation.
- Another bill looks to allocate $2 million to programs designed to reduce youth violence around the state over the next couple of years.
- The third bill discussed during Wednesday’s meeting is garnering attention because it would change the age that young people could go into the juvenile system from 10 to 13.
“Children that are ages 10, 11 and 12 would no longer be able to be arrested or charged with a juvenile delinquency or ticketed with a municipal citation and that is to prevent them from getting involved in the juvenile justice system,” said the prime sponsor of the bill, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez.
The measure even caught the eye of some major athletes, including Broncos safety Justin Simmons, who weighed in through a post on his Twitter account.
In Colorado, children as young as 10 are being funneled into the juvenile justice system, which just isn’t giving these kids the resources they need like counseling and care. We must #treatkidslikekids and pass house bill 22-1131. #inspirechange
Justin Simmons on Twitter
Some opponents agree with supporters of the age change, but they fear juveniles under 13 who get treatment through the justice system could fall through the cracks if this measure takes effect. It is something Gonzales-Gutierrez said she is working to make sure will not happen.
She concluded by highlighting her goals for the bill, saying, “one of the things we are wanting to present today is the idea of a working group that would be comprised of experts in the field to be able to work through a plan to determine how these young people will be served, who will serve them, and what kind of resources are needed in order to accomplish that.”
The next committee date for HB22-1131 has yet to be scheduled but should be posted once Wednesday’s committee hearings have concluded.