OLYMPIA — Breaking the criminal cycle before it breaks young people — that’s state Rep. Connie Ladenburg’s plan in legislationencouraging the establishment of juvenile-gang courts.
Ladenburg’s House Bill 2535 will receive a public hearing in the House Early Learning & Human Services Committeeat 1:30 this afternoon (Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012). The committee is meeting in House Hearing Room D on the first floor of the John L. O’Brien Building on the Capitol Campus.
“Gang court is a tool for rescuing kids from a nightmare,” Ladenburg emphasized.
“Juvenile-gang activities in cities and communities of all sizes are a threat to public safety, as well as being a terrible, dangerous menace for so many children themselves.”
Her legislation calls for “a strategic and collaborative approach” in putting an end to juvenile gangs.
Further, the measure notes that “many juveniles who become involved in gang activity have been exposed to risk factors such as anti-social behavior, alcohol and drug use, mental-health problems, and victimization. Evidence-based and research-based gang-intervention programs and strategies can provide services to these youth,” including mental-health counseling, education, and chemical-dependency treatment as a way to “increase their ability to develop into successful adults.”
Ladenburg’s bipartisan legislation:
* Authorizes counties to establish and operate juvenile-gang courts, in which young offenders who have been involved in criminal gangs will be continuously supervised while they receive services.
* Provides that a young person must meet basic requirements for admission to a juvenile-gang court.
* Allows counties to set stricter standards for admission and continuing participation in the gang court.
* Requires that counties operating juvenile-gang courts must keep track of information on participants, and that the state Administrative Office of the Courts must report recidivism information to the Legislature.
Ladenburg pointed out that many Washington counties are currently operating “problem-solving” courts for specific offenders, including mental-health courts, drug courts, and DUI courts. Right now, most of these courts deal only with adult offenders.
Yakima County is the lone county that has developed a gang court specifically for juvenile offenders. Sentencing is deferred for a year, but even if the young offender completes every requirement, the case isn’t dismissed. Potentially in such a case, the court might impose a more lenient sentence.