June 26, 2014
Mandatory Minimums Dropped from S.B. 838
After intensive efforts by a broad group of agencies and organizations, the provisions of S.B. 838 requiring mandatory two-year confinement were dropped from the measure. Youth Law Center was part of the opposition, urging that mandatory sentencing violates the most basic principle of juvenile justice that young people receive individualized treatment and services. Several members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee agreed, and on June 24, the bill was amended to require instead, that young people who commit certain sex offenses complete a sex offender treatment program. YLC Staff Attorney Sue Burrell was interviewed by the Associated Press in connection with the hearing.