The Michigan state House of Representatives passed a slate of bills to reform juvenile justice supported by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday.
This serves to fulfill many recommendations of the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform established by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2021-6. The Task Force includes Michigan residents from across the state with various areas of expertise, including Assistant Attorney General Stine Grand from the Department’s Criminal Trials and Appeals Division, stated a news release.
“Michigan’s youth deserve smart investments, and that requires leaning on best practices and innovative tools,” said Nessel. “Rehabilitation must be our top priority for children in our criminal justice system and I’m grateful this legislature is continuing to work on solutions that carry this goal forward.”
This legislation is consistent with other recent improvements to Michigan’s juvenile justice system, including raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction. The legislature has prioritized rehabilitating juvenile offenders and focused the state’s resources on improving the juvenile justice system. This legislation is meant to help reduce outcome disparity and lead to more positive outcomes for youth in the justice system, make communities safer, and reduce juvenile recidivism.
The package of bills was introduced in May, and are available on the website of the Michigan Legislature.
