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Monday, August 17, 2015

GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL REFORMING STATE’S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM 2015 JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM LAWS

GOVERNOR SIGNS  BILL REFORMING STATE’S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

2015 Juvenile Justice Reform Laws

New laws new law makes various changes to this State’s juvenile justice system.  The new law revamps the State’s law governing waiver of juveniles to adult criminal court and increases certain extended sentences for juveniles; requires due process before a juvenile can be transferred to an adult correctional facility; and places limitations on the use of room restriction to discipline incarcerated juveniles.
      Under this State’s current juvenile waiver statute, a juvenile’s case may be transferred to adult criminal court under certain circumstances. Whether a juvenile’s case is waived depends on the age of the juvenile and whether probable cause is established that the juvenile committed the offense charged.  In some instances, waiver depends upon whether it can be shown that the interests of the public require waiver and whether the juvenile can establish that the probability of rehabilitation through the use of court services by the time the juvenile is 19 years old outweighs the reasons for waiver.
      Currently, a prosecutor has 30 days from the receipt of the complaint to file a waiver motion unless good cause is shown to extend this time period.  If a prosecutor motions to waive the case of a juvenile who has reached the age of 16 or older and establishes the requisite probable cause that the juvenile committed a serious offense as enumerated in the statute, often referred to as a “chart 1 offense,” the juvenile will automatically be waived to adult criminal court.  This is referred to as “prosecutorial discretionary waiver.”  The chart 1 offenses include  such offenses as criminal homicide (excluding death by auto), strict liability for drug-induced deaths, first degree robbery, aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault, possession of a firearm with the purpose to use it unlawfully against another person, leader of a narcotics trafficking network, maintaining and operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility, weapons possession while committing certain other controlled dangerous substance offenses, and first or second degree computer criminal activity.
      Juveniles who are 14 or 15 years old and juveniles 16 years of age or older who are charged with less serious offenses, often referred to as “chart 2 offenses,” will be waived to adult criminal court if the State establishes that the nature of the charge against the juvenile or the juvenile’s prior record is sufficiently serious that waiver is in the public interest and if the juvenile fails to establish during an “amenability hearing” that the probability of rehabilitation outweighs the reasons for waiver.  This is referred to as “judicial discretionary waiver.”
      The new law repeals the current juvenile waiver statute and replaces it with a streamlined process for determining whether a juvenile case should be transferred to an adult criminal court.  Under the new law, only juveniles who are 15 years of age and older and who are charged with certain chart 1 offenses as enumerated in the new law would be eligible for waiver.  The new law increases the time allotted to the prosecutor to file a waiver motion from 30 to 60 days after receiving the complaint.
      The new law requires the waiver motion to be accompanied by a written statement from the prosecutor clearly setting forth the facts used in assessing the waiver factors together with an explanation as to how evaluation of those facts support waiver for each particular juvenile. The new law directs the court to review during a hearing whether the prosecution considered the waiver factors.  The court may deny the prosecutor’s waiver motion if the court is clearly convinced that the prosecutor abused the prosecutor’s discretion in considering those factors.
      The new law also provides that a juvenile whose case was waived would serve the juvenile’s sentence in a juvenile facility rather than an adult facility.  The new law directs that the juvenile’s case is to proceed in the adult criminal court as if the case originated there, including through sentencing, but there is a presumption that the juvenile will serve a custodial sentence in a juvenile facility until the juvenile reaches the age of 21.  Juveniles under 21 years of age may be required to serve the sentence in a State correctional facility if the Juvenile Justice Commission finds the juvenile’s continued presence in the facility threatens the public safety, the safety of juvenile offenders, or the operations of the commission.  Also, a juvenile may continue to serve a sentence in a juvenile facility after reaching the age of 21 in the discretion of the commission and if the juvenile consents.
      Also under the new law, certain juvenile cases waived to an adult criminal court will be remanded to the juvenile court for sentencing, which is referred to as “disposition under the juvenile code.” Specifically, if a juvenile was not convicted of the offense on which the waiver was based, but was convicted of another offense, the new law directs that offense be deemed a juvenile adjudication and be remanded to the juvenile court for a disposition, which may include incarceration.  The juvenile therefore would be subject to the penalties under the juvenile code, rather than those under the adult criminal code.
      In addition to revamping the current juvenile waiver statute, the new law establishes a presumption that a juvenile whose case has been waived is to be detained in a juvenile facility pending resolution of the case and pending sentencing.
      The new law changes the current law governing extended sentences for juveniles.  Currently, the juvenile code provides for a custodial sentence of one year for a crime which, if committed by an adult, constitutes a fourth degree crime; two years for a third degree crime; three years for a second degree crime; four years for a first degree crime other than murder; and either 10 or 20 years for murder, depending on the circumstances.  A prosecutor can apply for an extended term of incarceration if the juvenile was adjudicated delinquent on two separate occasions for a first or second degree crime and was previously incarcerated.  Extended terms consist of five years for murder, two years for a crime of the first or second degree, and one year for a crime of the third degree.  Under the new law, the extended sentence remains five years for murder, but increases from two to three years for all other first degree crimes.  The new law removes the requirement that the juvenile had to be previously incarcerated to be eligible for an extended sentence.
      The new law provides that if the prosecutor and defense consent, at any point in the proceedings subsequent to the decision granting waiver, the court may remand the case to juvenile court if it appears the interests of the public and the best interests of the juvenile require access to programs or procedures uniquely available to that court and the interests of the public are no longer served by waiver to the adult criminal court.
      The new law establishes data collection and reporting requirements concerning juvenile waiver; biennial reports are to be published on the commission’s website and transmitted to the Governor and the Legislature.
      The new law makes changes to the current law governing the transfer of juveniles from a juvenile facility to a State correctional facility.
      The new law places limitations on the use of solitary confinement, or what is referred to in current Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) regulations as “room restriction,” in State juvenile correctional facilities and juvenile detention centers.  The new law prohibits a juvenile from being subject to room restriction, unless the juvenile poses an immediate and substantial risk of harm to others or to the security of the facility, and all other less-restrictive options have been exhausted.
      The new law requires that the use of room restriction be documented by the facility or center and aggregate data is to be made available to the public under the State’s Open Public Records Act.  The new law requires the JJC to publish the aggregate data on its website.
      As reported by the committee, this new law is identical to Assembly New law No. 4299 (ACS), as also reported by the committee.

FISCAL IMPACT:
      The new law requires certain data collection and reporting requirements by the Juvenile Justice Commission, in cooperation with the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Attorney General, and the county prosecutors concerning waiver and room restriction.  The new law requires that reports be published on the Internet as well as provided to the Governor and Legislature.  The reporting requirements may require additional manpower for collection, analysis, and creation of reports.
      The new law adds to the list of serious offenses for which a juvenile may be waived to adult court and to an adult correctional facility; however, the new law provides a presumption juveniles will serve custodial sentences in juvenile facilities which may lead to fewer juveniles being sentenced to adult correctional facilities.  According to data provided in the Governor’s proposed budget, as of 2015 adult correctional facilities such as Garden State Youth ($82.73 per day), Albert C. Wagner Youth ($140.10 per day), and Mountainview Youth ($115.97 per day) currently have a lower operating budget that the Juvenile Justice Commission institutions ($611.61 per day). The daily cost per inmate will fluctuate depending on how many juveniles are sentenced to each of the respective facilities.
      The new law revises the requirement that a juvenile being transferred from a juvenile facility to an adult facility be represented by the Office of the Public Defender, unless the juvenile chooses to engage private counsel at the juvenile’s expense.  It is unknown how many juveniles will utilize the public defender versus engaging in private counsel.
      The new law revises room restriction guidelines for juveniles of certain ages which may create a minimal expense if there is a need to relocate juveniles to alternate facilities to remedy issues such as inmate-to-inmate conflicts.
Bill Number:S2003 (Pou)/A4299 (Sumter) 
Legislative Session:2014-2016
ACLU-NJ Position:Supports
Assembly:Passed by Assembly
Senate:Passed by Senate
Governor:Signed into Law
Raises the minimum age for waivers from 14 to 15; eliminates some less serious crimes from the list of offenses subject to waiver; creates presumption that waived juveniles remain housed with juveniles until age 21; provides right to counsel and enhances due process protections before juveniles can be transferred from juvenile detention centers to adult prisons; eliminates use of solitary confinement except to protect health, safety, or the operation of a facility; mandates data collection and public reporting regarding the use of waiver and solitary confinement.
Assembly Republican Press Release -
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican Maria Rodriguez-Gregg to relieve an overburdened criminal justice system and rehabilitate young offenders was signed into law this week by Governor Christie.
Maria Rodriguez-Gregg
Maria Rodriguez-Gregg
“Other states have been successful with similar reforms,” said Rodriguez-Gregg, R — Burlington, Atlantic and Camden. “These are common sense reforms that ensure fair treatment for juveniles without compromising public interest and safety.”
Texas and Georgia have made comparable changes. The reforms have been delivered measurable improvements to the corrections systems and been deemed successful.
“An overburdened corrections system means overburdened taxpayers, and it is that relief that makes this legislation a win-win package of reforms,” said Rodriguez-Gregg. “This is fiscally responsible reform.”

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